PROPOSED REVISION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR SURGERY OF TRAUMA RENAL TRAUMA ORGAN INJURY SCALE: SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF THE MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL GENITOURINARY TRAUMA STUDY.

BACKGROUND: This study updates the American Association for Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Organ Injury Scale (OIS) for renal trauma using evidence-based criteria for bleeding control intervention. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a multi-center retrospective study including patients with high grade renal trauma from 7 Level-1 trauma centers from 2013-2018. All eligible patients were assigned new renal trauma grades based on revised criteria. The primary outcome used to measure injury severity was intervention for renal bleeding. Secondary outcomes included intervention for urinary extravasation, units of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) transfused within 24 hours, and mortality. To test the revised grading system, we performed mixed effect logistic regression adjusted for multiple baseline demographic and trauma covariates. We determined the area under the receiver-operator curve (AUC) to assess accuracy of predicting bleeding interventions from the revised grading system and compared this to 2018 AAST organ injury scale. RESULTS: based on the 2018 OIS grading system, we included 549 patients with AAST Grade III-V injuries and CT scans (III: 52% (n = 284), IV: 45% (n = 249), and V: 3% (n = 16)). Among these patients, 89% experienced blunt injury (n = 491) and 12% (n = 64) underwent intervention for bleeding. After applying the revised grading criteria, 60% (n = 329) of patients were downgraded and 4% (n = 23) were upgraded; 2.8% (n = 7) downgraded from grade V to IV, and 69.5% (n = 173) downgraded from IV to III. The revised renal trauma grading system demonstrated improved predictive ability for bleeding interventions (2018 AUC = 0.805, revised AUC = 0.883; p = 0.001) and number of units of PRBCs transfused. When we removed urinary injury from the revised system, there was no difference in its predictive ability for renal hemorrhage intervention. CONCLUSIONS: A revised renal trauma grading system better delineates the need for hemostatic interventions than the current AAST OIS renal trauma grading system. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Grade V renal trauma management: results from the multi-institutional genito-urinary trauma study.

PURPOSE: To investigate management trends for American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grade V renal trauma with focus on non-operative management. METHODS: We used prospectively collected data as part of the Multi-institutional Genito-Urinary Trauma Study (MiGUTS). We included patients with grade V renal trauma according to the AAST Injury Scoring Scale 2018 update. All cases submitted by participating centers with radiology images available were independently reviewed to confirm renal trauma grade. Management was classified as expectant, conservative (minimally invasive, endoscopic or percutaneous procedures), or operative (renal-related surgery). RESULTS: Eighty patients were included, 25 of whom had complete imaging and had independent confirmation of AAST grade V renal trauma. Median age was 35 years (Interquartile range (IQR) 25-50) and 23 (92%) had blunt trauma. Ten patients (40%) were managed operatively with nephrectomy. Conservative management was used in nine patients (36%) of which six received angioembolization and three had a stent or drainage tube placed. Expectant management was followed in six (24%) patients. Transfusion requirements were progressively higher with groups requiring more aggressive treatment, and injury characteristics differed significantly across management groups in terms of hematoma size and laceration size. Vascular contrast extravasation was more likely in operatively managed patients though a statistically significant association was not found. CONCLUSION: Successful use of nonoperative management for grade V injuries is used for a substantial subset of patients. Lower transfusion requirement and less severe injury radiologic phenotype appear to be important characteristics delineating this group.

A multicenter prospective cohort study of endoscopic urethral realignment versus suprapubic cystostomy after complete pelvic fracture urethral injury.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic fracture urethral injury (PFUI) occurs in up to 10% of pelvic fractures. There is mixed evidence supporting early endoscopic urethral realignment (EUR) over suprapubic tube (SPT) placement and delayed urethroplasty. Some studies show decreased urethral obstruction with EUR, while others show few differences. We hypothesized that EUR would reduce the rate of urethral obstruction after PFUI. METHODS: Twenty-six US medical centers contributed patients following either an EUR or SPT protocol from 2015 to 2020. If retrograde cystoscopic catheter placement failed, patients were included and underwent either EUR or SPT placement based on their institution's assigned treatment arm. Endoscopic urethral realignment involved simultaneous antegrade/retrograde cystoscopy to place a catheter across the urethral injury. The primary endpoint was development of urethral obstruction. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the relationship between PFUI management and development of urethral obstruction. RESULTS: There were 106 patients with PFUI; 69 (65%) had complete urethral disruption and failure of catheter placement with retrograde cystoscopy. Of the 69 patients, there were 37 (54%) and 32 (46%) in the EUR and SPT arms, respectively. Mean age was 37.0 years (SD, 16.3 years) years, and mean follow-up was 463 days (SD, 280 days) from injury. In the EUR arm, 36 patients (97%) developed urethral obstruction compared with 30 patients (94%) in the SPT arm ( p = 0.471). Urethroplasty was performed in 31 (87%) and 29 patients (91%) in the EUR and SPT arms, respectively ( p = 0.784). CONCLUSION: In this prospective multi-institutional study of PFUI, EUR was not associated with a lower rate of urethral obstruction or need for urethroplasty when compared with SPT placement. Given the potential risk of EUR worsening injuries, clinicians should consider SPT placement as initial treatment for PFUI when simple retrograde cystoscopy is not successful in placement of a urethral catheter. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.

The Outcomes of Pelvic Fracture Urethral Injuries Stratified by Urethral Injury Severity: A Prospective Multi-institutional Genitourinary Trauma Study (MiGUTS).

OBJECTIVE: To determine patient outcomes across a range of pelvic fracture urethral injury (PFUI) severity. PFUI is a devastating consequence of a pelvic fracture. No study has stratified PFUI outcomes based on severity of the urethral distraction injury. METHODS: Adult male patients with blunt-trauma-related PFUI were followed prospectively for a minimum of six months at 27 US medical centers from 2015-2020. Patients underwent retrograde cystourethroscopy and retrograde urethrography to determine injury severity and were categorized into three groups: (1) major urethral distraction, (2) minor urethral distraction, and (3) partial urethral injury. Major distraction vs minor distraction was determined by the ability to pass a cystoscope retrograde into the bladder. Simple statistics summarized differences between groups. Multi-variable analyses determined odds ratios for obstruction and urethroplasty controlling for urethral injury type, age, and Injury Severity Score. RESULTS: There were 99 patients included, 72(72%) patients had major, 13(13%) had minor, and 14(14%) had partial urethral injuries. The rate of urethral obstruction differed in patients with major (95.8%), minor (84.6%), and partial injuries (50%) (P < 0.001). Urethroplasty was performed in 90% of major, 66.7% of minor, and 35.7% of partial injuries (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In PFUI, a spectrum of severity exists that influences outcomes. While major and minor distraction injuries are associated with a higher risk of developing urethral obstruction and need for urethroplasty, up to 50% of partial PFUI will result in obstruction, and as such need to be closely followed.

Nephrectomy After High-Grade Renal Trauma is Associated With Higher Mortality: Results From the Multi-Institutional Genitourinary Trauma Study (MiGUTS).

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that undergoing nephrectomy after high-grade renal trauma is associated with higher mortality rates. METHODS: We gathered data from 21 Level-1 trauma centers through the Multi-institutional Genito-Urinary Trauma Study. Patients with high-grade renal trauma were included. We assessed the association between nephrectomy and mortality in all patients and in subgroups of patients after excluding those who died within 24 hours of hospital arrival and those with GCS≤8. We controlled for age, injury severity score (ISS), shock (systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). RESULTS: A total of 1181 high-grade renal trauma patients were included. Median age was 31 and trauma mechanism was blunt in 78%. Injuries were graded as III, IV, and V in 55%, 34%, and 11%, respectively. There were 96 (8%) mortalities and 129 (11%) nephrectomies. Mortality was higher in the nephrectomy group (21.7% vs 6.5%, P <.001). Those who died were older, had higher ISS, lower GCS, and higher rates of shock. After adjusting for patient and injury characteristics nephrectomy was still associated with higher risk of death (RR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.26-2.55). CONCLUSION: Nephrectomy was associated with higher mortality in the acute trauma setting even when controlling for shock, overall injury severity, and head injury. These results may have implications in decision making in acute trauma management for patients not in extremis from renal hemorrhage.

Clinical and Radiographic Factors Associated With Failed Renal Angioembolization: Results From the Multi-institutional Genitourinary Trauma Study (Mi-GUTS).

OBJECTIVE: To find clinical or radiographic factors that are associated with angioembolization failure after high-grade renal trauma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients were selected from the Multi-institutional Genito-Urinary Trauma Study. Included were patients who initially received renal angioembolization after high-grade renal trauma (AAST grades III-V). This cohort was dichotomized into successful or failed angioembolization. Angioembolization was considered a failure if angioembolization was followed by repeat angiography and/or an exploratory laparotomy. RESULTS: A total of 67 patients underwent management initially with angioembolization, with failure in 18 (27%) patients. Those with failed angioembolization had a larger proportion ofgrade IV (72% vs 53%) and grade V (22% vs 12%) renal injuries. A total of 53 patients underwent renal angioembolization and had initial radiographic data for review, with failure in 13 cases. The failed renal angioembolization group had larger perirenal hematoma sizes on the initial trauma scan. CONCLUSION: Angioembolization after high-grade renal trauma failed in 27% of patients. Failed angioembolization was associated with higher injury grade and a larger perirenal hematoma. Likely these characteristics are associated with high-grade renal trauma that may be less amenable to successful treatment after a single renal angioembolization.

Current Management of Extraperitoneal Bladder Injuries: Results from the Multi-Institutional Genito-Urinary Trauma Study (MiGUTS).

PURPOSE: We studied the current management trends for extraperitoneal bladder injuries and evaluated the use of operative repair versus catheter drainage, and the associated complications with each approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively collected data on bladder trauma from 20 level 1 trauma centers across the United States from 2013 to 2018. We excluded patients with intraperitoneal bladder injury and those who died within 24 hours of hospital arrival. We separated patients with extraperitoneal bladder injuries into 2 groups (catheter drainage vs operative repair) based on their initial management within the first 4 days and compared the rates of bladder injury related complications among them. Regression analyses were used to identify potential predictors of complications. RESULTS: From 323 bladder injuries we included 157 patients with extraperitoneal bladder injuries. Concomitant injuries occurred in 139 (88%) patients with pelvic fracture seen in 79%. Sixty-seven patients (43%) initially underwent operative repair for their extraperitoneal bladder injuries. The 3 most common reasons for operative repair were severity of injury or bladder neck injury (40%), injury found during laparotomy (39%) and concern for pelvic hardware contamination (28%). Significant complications were identified in 23% and 19% of the catheter drainage and operative repair groups, respectively (p=0.55). The only statistically significant predictor for complications was bladder neck or urethral injury (RR 2.69, 95% 1.21-5.97, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this large multi-institutional cohort, 43% of patients underwent surgical repair for initial management of extraperitoneal bladder injuries. We found no significant difference in complications between the initial management strategies of catheter drainage and operative repair. The most significant predictor for complications was concomitant urethral or bladder neck injury.

Buried penis repair: tips and tricks.

Obesity is increasing in prevalence worldwide and an increasingly commonly encountered condition is adult acquired buried penis (AABP). We review the current management of AABP and relevant literature. Management of AABP requires a combination of genitourinary reconstructive techniques and plastic surgery techniques that are unique to this condition. We offer our experience and tips and tricks for the treatment of AABP.

The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma renal injury grading scale: Implications of the 2018 revisions for injury reclassification and predicting bleeding interventions.

BACKGROUND: In 2018, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) published revisions to the renal injury grading system to reflect the increased reliance on computed tomography scans and non-operative management of high-grade renal trauma (HGRT). We aimed to evaluate how these revisions will change the grading of HGRT and if it outperforms the original 1989 grading in predicting bleeding control interventions. METHODS: Data on HGRT were collected from 14 Level-1 trauma centers from 2014 to 2017. Patients with initial computed tomography scans were included. Two radiologists reviewed the scans to regrade the injuries according to the 1989 and 2018 AAST grading systems. Descriptive statistics were used to assess grade reclassifications. Mixed-effect multivariable logistic regression was used to measure the predictive ability of each grading system. The areas under the curves were compared. RESULTS: Of the 322 injuries included, 27.0% were upgraded, 3.4% were downgraded, and 69.5% remained unchanged. Of the injuries graded as III or lower using the 1989 AAST, 33.5% were upgraded to grade IV using the 2018 AAST. Of the grade V injuries, 58.8% were downgraded using the 2018 AAST. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall areas under the curves between the 2018 and 1989 AAST grading system for predicting bleeding interventions (0.72 vs. 0.68, p = 0.34). CONCLUSION: About one third of the injuries previously classified as grade III will be upgraded to grade IV using the 2018 AAST, which adds to the heterogeneity of grade IV injuries. Although the 2018 AAST grading provides more anatomic details on injury patterns and includes important radiologic findings, it did not outperform the 1989 AAST grading in predicting bleeding interventions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and Epidemiological Study, level III.

Buried penis repair: tips and tricks

ABSTRACT Obesity is increasing in prevalence worldwide and an increasingly commonly encountered condition is adult acquired buried penis (AABP). We review the current management of AABP and relevant literature. Management of AABP requires a combination of genitourinary reconstructive techniques and plastic surgery techniques that are unique to this condition. We offer our experience and tips and tricks for the treatment of AABP.

The associations between initial radiographic findings and interventions for renal hemorrhage after high-grade renal trauma: Results from the Multi-Institutional Genitourinary Trauma Study.

BACKGROUND: Indications for intervention after high-grade renal trauma (HGRT) remain poorly defined. Certain radiographic findings can be used to guide the management of HGRT. We aimed to assess the associations between initial radiographic findings and interventions for hemorrhage after HGRT and to determine hematoma and laceration sizes predicting interventions. METHODS: The Genitourinary Trauma Study is a multicenter study including HGRT patients from 14 Level I trauma centers from 2014 to 2017. Admission computed tomography scans were categorized based on multiple variables, including vascular contrast extravasation (VCE), hematoma rim distance (HRD), and size of the deepest laceration. Renal bleeding interventions included angioembolization, surgical packing, renorrhaphy, partial nephrectomy, and nephrectomy. Mixed-effect Poisson regression was used to assess the associations. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to define optimal cutoffs for HRD and laceration size. RESULTS: In the 326 patients, injury mechanism was blunt in 81%. Forty-seven (14%) patients underwent 51 bleeding interventions, including 19 renal angioembolizations, 16 nephrectomies, and 16 other procedures. In univariable analysis, presence of VCE was associated with a 5.9-fold increase in risk of interventions, and each centimeter increase in HRD was associated with 30% increase in risk of bleeding interventions. An HRD of 3.5 cm or greater and renal laceration depth of 2.5 cm or greater were most predictive of interventions. In multivariable models, VCE and HRD were significantly associated with bleeding interventions. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the importance of certain radiographic findings in prediction of bleeding interventions after HGRT. These factors can be used as adjuncts to renal injury grading to guide clinical decision making. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and Epidemiological Study, Level III and Therapeutic/Care Management, Level IV.

A nomogram predicting the need for bleeding interventions after high-grade renal trauma: Results from the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Multi-institutional Genito-Urinary Trauma Study (MiGUTS).

BACKGROUND: The management of high-grade renal trauma (HGRT) and the indications for intervention are not well defined. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) renal grading does not incorporate some important clinical and radiologic variables associated with increased risk of interventions. We aimed to use data from a multi-institutional contemporary cohort to develop a nomogram predicting risk of interventions for bleeding after HGRT. METHODS: From 2014 to 2017, data on adult HGRT (AAST grades III-V) were collected from 14 level 1 trauma centers. Patients with both clinical and radiologic data were included. Data were gathered on demographics, injury characteristics, management, and outcomes. Clinical and radiologic parameters, obtained after trauma evaluation, were used to predict renal bleeding interventions. We developed a prediction model by applying backward model selection to a logistic regression model and built a nomogram using the selected model. RESULTS: A total of 326 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mechanism of injury was blunt in 81%. Median age and injury severity score were 28 years and 22, respectively. Injuries were reported as AAST grades III (60%), IV (33%), and V (7%). Overall, 47 (14%) underwent interventions for bleeding control including 19 renal angioembolizations, 16 nephrectomies, and 12 other procedures. Of the variables included in the nomogram, a hematoma size of 12 cm contributed the most points, followed by penetrating trauma mechanism, vascular contrast extravasation, pararenal hematoma extension, concomitant injuries, and shock. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.85). CONCLUSION: We developed a nomogram that integrates multiple clinical and radiologic factors readily available upon assessment of patients with HGRT and can provide predicted probability for bleeding interventions. This nomogram may help in guiding appropriate management of HGRT and decreasing unnecessary interventions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and epidemiological study, level III.

Optimal timing of delayed excretory phase computed tomography scan for diagnosis of urinary extravasation after high-grade renal trauma.

BACKGROUND: Excretory phase computed tomography (CT) scan is used for diagnosis of renal collecting system injuries and accurate grading of high-grade renal trauma. However, optimal timing of the excretory phase is not well established. We hypothesized that there is an association between excretory phase timing and diagnosis of urinary extravasation and aimed to identify the optimal excretory phase timing for diagnosis of urinary extravasation. METHODS: The Genito-Urinary Trauma Study collected data on high-grade renal trauma (grades III-V) from 14 Level I trauma centers between 2014 and 2017. The time between portal venous and excretory phases at initial CT scans was recorded. Poisson regression was used to measure the association between excretory phase timing and diagnosis of urinary extravasation. Predictive receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to identify a cutoff point optimizing detection of urinary extravasation. RESULTS: Overall, 326 patients were included; 245 (75%) had excretory phase CT scans for review either initially (n = 212) or only at their follow-up (n = 33). At initial CT with excretory phase, 46 (22%) of 212 patients were diagnosed with urinary extravasation. Median time between portal venous and excretory phases was 4 minutes (interquartile range, 4-7 minutes). Time of initial excretory phase was significantly greater in those diagnosed with urinary extravasation. Increased time to excretory phase was positively associated with finding urinary extravasation at the initial CT scan after controlling for multiple factors (risk ratio per minute, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.22; p < 0.001). The optimal delay for detection of urinary extravasation was 9 minutes. CONCLUSION: Timing of the excretory phase is a significant factor in accurate diagnosis of renal collecting system injury. A 9-minute delay between the early and excretory phases optimized detection of urinary extravasation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic tests/criteria study, level III.

An American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) prospective multi-center research protocol: outcomes of urethral realignment versus suprapubic cystostomy after pelvic fracture urethral injury.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic fracture urethral injuries (PFUI) occur in up to 10% of pelvic fractures. It remains controversial whether initial primary urethral realignment (PR) after PFUI decreases the incidence of urethral obstruction and the need for subsequent urethral procedures. We present methodology for a prospective cohort study analyzing the outcomes of PR versus suprapubic cystostomy tube (SPT) after PFUI. METHODS: A prospective cohort trial was designed to compare outcomes between PR (group 1) and SPT placement (group 2). Centers are assigned to a group upon entry into the study. All patients will undergo retrograde attempted catheter placement; if this fails a cystoscopy exam is done to confirm a complete urethral disruption and attempt at gentle retrograde catheter placement. If catheter placement fails, group 1 will undergo urethral realignment and group 2 will undergo SPT. The primary outcome measure will be the rate of urethral obstruction preventing atraumatic passage of a flexible cystoscope. Secondary outcome measures include: subsequent urethral interventions, post-injury complications, urethroplasty complexity, erectile dysfunction (ED) and urinary incontinence rates. RESULTS: Prior studies demonstrate PR is associated with a 15% to 50% reduction in urethral obstruction. Ninety-six men (48 per treatment group) are required to detect a 15% treatment effect (80% power, 0.05 significance level, 20% loss to follow up/death rate). Busy trauma centers treat complete PFUI approximately 1-6 times per year, thus our goal is to recruit 25 trauma centers and enroll patients for 3 years with a goal of 100 or more total patients with complete urethral disruption. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed prospective multi-institutional cohort study should determine the utility of acute urethral realignment after PFUI.

Contemporary management of high-grade renal trauma: Results from the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Genitourinary Trauma study.

BACKGROUND: The rarity of renal trauma limits its study and the strength of evidence-based guidelines. Although management of renal injuries has shifted toward a nonoperative approach, nephrectomy remains the most common intervention for high-grade renal trauma (HGRT). We aimed to describe the contemporary management of HGRT in the United States and also evaluate clinical factors associated with nephrectomy after HGRT. METHODS: From 2014 to 2017, data on HGRT (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grades III-V) were collected from 14 participating Level-1 trauma centers. Data were gathered on demographics, injury characteristics, management, and short-term outcomes. Management was classified into three groups-expectant, conservative/minimally invasive, and open operative. Descriptive statistics were used to report management of renal trauma. Univariate and multivariate logistic mixed effect models with clustering by facility were used to look at associations between proposed risk factors and nephrectomy. RESULTS: A total of 431 adult HGRT were recorded; 79% were male, and mechanism of injury was blunt in 71%. Injuries were graded as III, IV, and V in 236 (55%), 142 (33%), and 53 (12%), respectively. Laparotomy was performed in 169 (39%) patients. Overall, 300 (70%) patients were managed expectantly and 47 (11%) underwent conservative/minimally invasive management. Eighty-four (19%) underwent renal-related open operative management with 55 (67%) of them undergoing nephrectomy. Nephrectomy rates were 15% and 62% for grades IV and V, respectively. Penetrating injuries had significantly higher American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grades and higher rates of nephrectomy. In multivariable analysis, only renal injury grade and penetrating mechanism of injury were significantly associated with undergoing nephrectomy. CONCLUSION: Expectant and conservative management is currently utilized in 80% of HGRT; however, the rate of nephrectomy remains high. Clinical factors, such as surrogates of hemodynamic instability and metabolic acidosis, are associated with nephrectomy for HGRT; however, higher renal injury grade and penetrating trauma remain the strongest associations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic/epidemiologic study, level III; Therapeutic study, level IV.

Clinical Utility of Gene Expression Classifiers in Men With Newly Diagnosed Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Tissue-based gene expression classifiers (GECs) may assist with management decisions in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. We sought to assess the current use of GEC tests and determine how the test results are associated with primary disease management. METHODS: In this observational study, patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer were tracked through the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative registry. The utilization and results of three GECs (Decipher Prostate Biopsy, Oncotype DX Prostate, and Prolaris) were prospectively collected. Practice patterns, predictors of GEC use, and effect of GEC results on disease management were investigated. RESULTS: Of 3,966 newly diagnosed patients, 747 (18.8%) underwent GEC testing. The rate of GEC use in individual practices ranged from 0% to 93%, and patients undergoing GEC testing were more likely to have a lower prostate-specific antigen level, lower Gleason score, lower clinical T stage, and fewer positive cores (all P < .05). Among patients with clinical favorable risk of cancer, the rate of active surveillance (AS) differed significantly among patients with a GEC result above the threshold (46.2%), those with a GEC result below the threshold (75.9%), and those who did not undergo GEC (57.9%; P < .001 for comparison of the three groups). This results in an estimate that, for every nine men with favorable risk of cancer who undergo GEC testing, one additional patient may have their disease initially managed with AS. On multivariable analysis, patients with favorable-risk prostate cancer who were classified as GEC low risk were more likely to be managed on AS than those without testing (odds ratio, 1.84; P = .006). CONCLUSION: There is large variability in practice-level use and GEC tests ordered in patients with newly diagnosed, localized prostate cancer. In patients with clinical favorable risk of cancer, GEC testing significantly increased the use of AS. Additional follow-up will help determine whether incorporation of GEC testing into initial patient care favorably affects clinical outcomes.

Regulation of axonal regeneration following spinal cord injury in the lamprey.

Following rostral spinal cord injury (SCI) in larval lampreys, injured descending brain neurons, particularly reticulospinal (RS) neurons, regenerate their axons, and locomotor behavior recovers in a few weeks. However, axonal regeneration of descending brain neurons is mostly limited to relatively short distances, but the mechanisms for incomplete axonal regeneration are unclear. First, lampreys with rostral SCI exhibited greater axonal regeneration of descending brain neurons, including RS neurons, as well as more rapid recovery of locomotor muscle activity right below the lesion site, compared with animals with caudal SCI. In addition, following rostral SCI, most injured RS neurons displayed the "injury phenotype," whereas following caudal SCI, most injured neurons displayed normal electrical properties. Second, following rostral SCI, at cold temperatures (~4-5°C), axonal transport was suppressed, axonal regeneration and behavioral recovery were blocked, and injured RS neurons displayed normal electrical properties. Cold temperatures appear to prevent injured RS neurons from detecting and/or responding to SCI. It is hypothesized that following rostral SCI, injured descending brain neurons are strongly stimulated to regenerate their axons, presumably because of elimination of spinal synapses and reduced neurotrophic support. However, when these neurons regenerate their axons and make synapses right below the lesion site, restoration of neurotrophic support very likely suppress further axonal regeneration. In contrast, caudal SCI is a weak stimulus for axonal regeneration, presumably because of spared synapses above the lesion site. These results may have implications for mammalian SCI, which can spare synapses above the lesion site for supraspinal descending neurons and propriospinal neurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Lampreys with rostral spinal cord injury (SCI) exhibited greater axonal regeneration of descending brain neurons and more rapid recovery of locomotor muscle activity below the lesion site compared with animals with caudal SCI. In addition, following rostral SCI, most injured reticulospinal (RS) neurons displayed the "injury phenotype," whereas following caudal SCI, most injured neurons had normal electrical properties. We hypothesize that following caudal SCI, the spared synapses of injured RS neurons might limit axonal regeneration and behavioral recovery.

Repeat Prostate Biopsy Practice Patterns in a Statewide Quality Improvement Collaborative.

PURPOSE: We examined rebiopsies in MUSIC (Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative) to understand adherence to guidelines recommending repeat prostate biopsy in patients with multifocal high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia or atypical small acinar proliferation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data on men undergoing repeat biopsy, practice patterns and cancer detection rates. Multivariate regression modeling was used to calculate the proportion of patients undergoing rebiopsy. We used claims data to validate the treatment classification in MUSIC. To understand reasons for not performing rebiopsy we reviewed records of a sample of patients with atypical small acinar proliferation. RESULTS: We identified 5,375 men with a negative biopsy, of whom 411 (7.6%) underwent repeat biopsy. In 718 men with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, 350 with atypical small acinar proliferation and 587 with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and atypical small acinar proliferation or atypical small acinar proliferation alone at initial biopsy the rebiopsy rate was 20.7%, 42.5% and 55.6%, respectively. The adjusted proportion of patients with rebiopsy in each practice ranged from 0% to 17.2% (p <0.001). The overall cancer detection rate at rebiopsy was 39.3%. It was highest after atypical small acinar proliferation (adjusted probability 0.39, 95% CI 0.30-0.48), and after high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and atypical small acinar proliferation (adjusted probability 0.50, 95% CI 0.35-0.65). The greatest Gleason 7 or greatest detection rate of 41.1% was found in patients with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and atypical small acinar proliferation. Chart review revealed that 45.5% of patients with atypical small acinar proliferation underwent prostate specific antigen testing instead of rebiopsy while 36% failed to undergo rebiopsy despite a recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Rebiopsy rates vary in Michigan practices with relatively low use in men with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and atypical small acinar proliferation or atypical small acinar proliferation alone. Quality improvement strategies should target patients with atypical small acinar proliferation and high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia as they have the highest likelihood of cancer detection.

A Statewide Intervention to Reduce Hospitalizations after Prostate Biopsy.

PURPOSE: Recent data suggest that increasing rates of hospitalization after prostate biopsy are mainly due to infections from fluoroquinolone-resistant bacteria. We report the initial results of a statewide quality improvement intervention aimed at reducing infection related hospitalizations after transrectal prostate biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2012 through May 2014 data on patient demographics, comorbidities, prophylactic antibiotics and post-biopsy complications were prospectively entered into an electronic registry by trained abstractors in 30 practices participating in the MUSIC. During this period each practice implemented one or both of the interventions aimed at addressing fluoroquinolone resistance, namely 1) use of rectal swab culture directed antibiotics or 2) augmented antibiotic prophylaxis with a second agent in addition to standard fluoroquinolone therapy. We identified all patients with an infection related hospitalization within 30 days after biopsy and validated these events with claims data for a subset of patients. We then compared the frequency of infection related hospitalizations before (5,028 biopsies) and after (4,087 biopsies) implementation of the quality improvement intervention. RESULTS: Overall the proportion of patients with infection related hospitalizations after prostate biopsy decreased by 53% from before to after implementation of the quality improvement intervention (1.19% before vs 0.56% after, p=0.002). Among post-implementation biopsies the rates of hospitalization were similar for patients receiving culture directed (0.47%) vs augmented (0.57%) prophylaxis. At a practice level the relative change in hospitalization rates varied from a 7.4% decrease to a 3.0% increase. Fourteen practices had no post-implementation hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: A statewide intervention aimed at addressing fluoroquinolone resistance reduced post-prostate biopsy infection related hospitalizations in Michigan by 53%.