The prevalence of pathological findings identified by next day abdominal ultrasound in patients discharged from the emergency department.

OBJECTIVE: A common strategy for managing emergency department (ED) patients with low-risk abdominal pain is to discharge them home and arrange for next day outpatient ultrasound for further assessment. The objective was to determine the proportion of outpatient ultrasounds with findings requiring intervention within 14 days. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of non-pregnant patients ages 18 to 40 years, presenting to an academic ED (annual census 65,000) with an abdominal complaint for whom the emergency physician arranged an outpatient (next day) abdominal ultrasound. RESULTS: Of the 299 included patients, 252 (84.3%) were female and mean (SD) age was 28.4 (6.0) years. Twenty-three (7.7%) patients had ultrasounds requiring intervention within 14 days of imaging. Of these, eight (34.8%) had appendicitis, five (21.7%) had cholecystitis, four (17.4%) had urological pathology, three (13.0%) had gynecological pathology, and three (13.0%) had gastrointestinal diagnoses. Of note, 14 (60.9%) patients requiring follow-up or intervention within 14 days had symptoms that improved or resolved at the time of the outpatient ultrasound. For the 277 (92.6%) patients not requiring intervention, 117 (42.2%) had improved, 89 (32.1%) were unchanged, 50 (18.1%) had resolved, and 5 (1.8%) had worsened symptoms at the time of the follow-up ultrasound. Of the non-intervention patients, 13 (4.7%) went on to have alternative imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and a sonohysterogram. CONCLUSIONS: Next-day ultrasound imaging remains a good way of identifying patients with serious pathology not appreciated at the time of their ED visit.

OBJECTIF: L'une des conduites souvent tenues devant les douleurs abdominales à faible risque au service des urgences (SU) est de retourner les patients à domicile et de fixer un rendez-vous à la clinique externe pour une échographie d'évaluation à effectuer le lendemain. L'étude visait donc à déterminer la proportion de patients soumis à une échographie en consultation externe, qui ont dû subir une intervention dans les 14 jours suivants. MÉTHODE: Il s'agit d'un examen rétrospectif de dossiers de patients et de patientes non enceintes, âgés de 18 à 40 ans, ayant consulté dans un SU d'hôpital d'enseignement (65 000 selon le recensement annuel) pour des douleurs abdominales qui ont motivé l'urgentologue à fixer un rendez-vous à la clinique externe (le lendemain) pour une échographie abdominale. RÉSULTATS: Au total, 299 patients ont été retenus, dont 252 femmes (84,3%), et l'âge moyen (écart type) était de 28,4 ans (6,0). Parmi ceux qui ont été soumis à une échographie, 23 patients (7,7%) ont dû subir une intervention au cours des 14 jours suivant l'examen par imagerie. Sur ce nombre, 8 (34,8%) souffraient d'appendicite, 5 (21,7%), de cholécystite; 4 (17,4%), de troubles urinaires; 3 (13,0%), de troubles gynécologiques; et 3 (13,0%) de troubles gastro-intestinaux. Point à souligner, chez 14 patients (60,9%) qui ont eu besoin d'un suivi ou d'une intervention dans les 14 jours suivants, les symptômes s'étaient atténués ou avaient disparu complètement au moment de l'échographie en consultation externe. Chez les 277 autres patients (92,6%) qui n'ont pas eu à subir d'intervention, 117 (42,2%) ont vu leurs symptômes diminuer; 89 (32,1%), rester inchangés; 50 (18,1%), disparaître; et 5 (1,8%) s'intensifier au moment de l'échographie de suivi. Parmi ceux qui n'ont pas subi d'intervention, 13 (4,7%) ont été soumis à d'autres examens par imagerie, notamment à un examen par résonance magnétique, à une tomodensitométrie ou à une échographie utérine. CONCLUSION: Une échographie effectuée le lendemain demeure une bonne conduite à tenir devant des manifestations pathologiques sérieuses mais non reconnues au moment de la consultation au SU.

Targeting metabolism and AMP-activated kinase with metformin to sensitize non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to cytotoxic therapy: translational biology and rationale for current clinical trials.

Lung cancer is the most fatal malignancy worldwide, in part, due to high resistance to cytotoxic therapy. There is need for effective chemo-radio-sensitizers in lung cancer. In recent years, we began to understand the modulation of metabolism in cancer and its importance in tumor progression and survival after cytotoxic therapy. The activity of biosynthetic pathways, driven by the Growth Factor Receptor/Ras/PI3k/Akt/mTOR pathway, is balanced by the energy stress sensor pathway of LKB1/AMPK/p53. AMPK responds both to metabolic and genotoxic stress. Metformin, a well-tolerated anti-diabetic agent, which blocks mitochondria oxidative phosphorylation complex I, became the poster child agent to elicit AMPK activity and tumor suppression. Metformin sensitizes NSCLC models to chemotherapy and radiation. Here, we discuss the rationale for targeting metabolism, the evidence supporting metformin as an anti-tumor agent and adjunct to cytotoxic therapy in NSCLC and we review retrospective evidence and on-going clinical trials addressing this concept.

Legionella pneumonia in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Legionella pneumophila, a major cause of Legionnaires' disease, accounts for 2-15 % of all community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization and up to 30 % of community-acquired pneumonia requiring intensive care unit admission. Early initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy is a crucial step in the prevention of morbidity and mortality. However, recognition of Legionnaires' disease continues to be challenging because of its nonspecific clinical features. We sought to describe hospitalized community-acquired Legionnaires' disease to increase awareness of this important and potentially lethal disease. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter observational study was conducted with all patients with confirmed Legionnaires' disease in the Niagara Region of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June to December 2013. RESULTS: From June to December 2013, there were 14 hospitalized cases of Legionnaires' disease in the Niagara Region. Of these, 86 % (12 patients) had at least one comorbidity and 71 % (10 patients) were cigarette smokers. In our cohort, Legionnaires' disease was diagnosed with a combination of a urinary Legionella antigen test and a Legionella real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Delay in effective antimicrobial therapy in the treatment of Legionella infection led to clinical deterioration. The majority of patients had met systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria with fever >38 °C (71 %), heart rate >90 beats per minute (71 %), and respiratory rate >20 breaths per minute (86 %). Eleven patients (79 %) required admission to the intensive care unit or step-down unit, and nine patients (64 %) required intubation. Clinical improvement after initiation of antimicrobials was protracted. CONCLUSIONS: Legionnaires' disease should be considered during the late spring and summer months in patients with a history of tobacco use and various comorbidities. Clinically, patients presented with severe, nonspecific, multisystem disease characterized by shortness of breath, abnormal vital signs, and laboratory derangements including hyponatremia, elevated creatine kinase, and evidence of organ dysfunction. In addition, antimicrobial therapy with newer macrolides or respiratory fluoroquinolones should be initiated for severe community-acquired pneumonia requiring intensive care unit admission, prior to laboratory confirmation of diagnosis, especially when a clinical suspicion of Legionella infection exists.

Efficacy of Hip Arthroscopy for the Management of Septic Arthritis: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: This systematic review assessed the role of hip arthroscopic irrigation and debridement for eradication of infection in native joints to ascertain outcomes and complications associated with this surgical approach. METHODS: The Medline, Embase, and PubMed databases were searched on July 20, 2014, for English-language studies that addressed arthroscopic treatment of native septic hip arthritis. The studies were systematically screened and data abstracted in duplicate, with qualitative findings presented. RESULTS: There were 11 eligible studies (1 case-control study, 8 case series, and 2 case reports) reporting on 65 patients (65 hips) treated by arthroscopic irrigation and debridement for septic hip arthritis. The mean length of patient follow-up was 19.1 months (range, 6 to 84 months). The indications for surgery were as follows: pyrexia, anterior groin or hip pain with limited hip range of motion and an inability to bear weight, associated leukocytosis, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein level, and/or hip imaging or aspiration results consistent with infection. Specific contraindications for surgery reported across studies included tuberculous of fungal infection, coexistence of osteomyelitis, immunocompromised individuals, and pre-existing surgery on the affected hip. The initial rate of infection eradication was 100%. All studies reported significant improvements in patient pain and function. Improvements were also observed in range of motion, as well as across both the Bennett radiographic and clinical assessments and Harris Hip Score. No complications, major or minor, were reported, and only 1 of 65 hips (1.5%) required revision arthroscopy for recurrence because of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic native hip irrigation and debridement for septic arthritis appear to comprise a safe and effective treatment option for selected patients (e.g., no deformity, no bacterial infections, and not immunocompromised). Timely diagnosis and intervention, however, remain the most critical prognostic factors for successful outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level IV and V studies.

Femoroacetabular impingement in skeletally immature patients: a systematic review examining indications, outcomes, and complications of open and arthroscopic treatment.

PURPOSE: Improvements in physical examination and radiographic appreciation of symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has increased the focus on early diagnosis and treatment in an adolescent population. This systematic review aimed to establish specific indications, outcomes, and complications of surgical management of adolescent FAI. METHODS: The Medline, Embase, and PubMed online databases were searched from inception until April 21, 2014, for English-language studies that addressed open and/or arthroscopic treatment of FAI in patients aged 10 to 19 years inclusively. The studies were systematically screened and data abstracted in duplicate, with qualitative findings presented. RESULTS: There were 6 eligible case series (4 with arthroscopic and 2 with open technique) and 2 conference abstracts examining 388 patients in total (435 hips), 81% of which were treated with hip arthroscopy. Overall, patients were followed up for a mean of 23.4 months postoperatively (range, 3 to 75 months). The main indication for surgery was a confirmed diagnosis of FAI with persistent pain and impaired function refractory to nonoperative interventions (activity modification, intra-articular injections, and so on). Specific contraindications included Tönnis grade 2, 3, or 4 chondral changes and acetabular dysplasia. All studies reported significant improvements in patient pain, function (e.g., no patients were "abnormally" or "severely abnormally" impaired), and satisfaction rates (84% to 100% with arthroscopic technique v 79% with open technique). Improvements also were observed in range of motion and alpha angle correction, as well as across a variety of patient-reported functional scores, with all but 7 of 388 patients (1.8%) returning to activity/sport. No major complications were reported, with only 13 of 354 hips (3.7%) treated by arthroscopy requiring revision arthroscopy for lysis of adhesions and 1 of 81 open surgical dislocation hips (1%) having asymptomatic heterotopic ossification not requiring additional management. No cases of avascular necrosis, physeal arrest or growth disturbance, or iatrogenic deformity were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Both arthroscopic and open surgical dislocation approaches for the treatment of adolescent FAI appear to be safe and effective options for patients with persistent pain and limited function after an appropriate trial of nonoperative therapy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level IV studies.

Extra-articular hip impingement: a systematic review examining operative treatment of psoas, subspine, ischiofemoral, and greater trochanteric/pelvic impingement.

PURPOSE: Extra-articular hip impingement can be the result of psoas impingement (PI), subspine impingement (SSI), ischiofemoral impingement (IFI), and greater trochanteric/pelvic impingement (GTPI). Symptoms may be due to bony abutment or soft-tissue irritation, and often, it is a challenge to differentiate among symptoms preoperatively. Currently, the clinical picture and diagnostic criteria are still being refined for these conditions. This systematic review was conducted to examine each condition and elucidate the indications for, treatment options for, and clinical outcomes of surgical management. METHODS: We searched online databases (Medline, Embase, and PubMed) for English-language clinical studies published from database inception through December 31, 2013, addressing the surgical treatment of PI, SSI, IFI, and GTPI. For each condition, 2 independent assessors reviewed eligible studies. Descriptive statistics are presented. RESULTS: Overall, 9,521 studies were initially retrieved; ultimately, 14 studies were included examining 333 hips. For PI, arthroscopic surgery resulted in 88% of patients achieving good to excellent results, as well as significant improvements in the Harris Hip Score (P = .008), Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (P = .02), and Hip Outcome Score-Sport (P = .04). For SSI, arthroscopic decompression, with no major complications, resulted in a mean 18.5° improvement in flexion range of motion, as well as improvements in pain (mean visual analog scale score of 5.9 points preoperatively and 1.2 points postoperatively) and the modified Harris Hip Score (mean of 64.97 points preoperatively and 91.3 points postoperatively). For both IFI and GTPI, open procedures anecdotally improved patient symptoms, with no formal objective outcomes data reported. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests that there is some evidence to support that surgical treatment, by arthroscopy for PI and SSI and by open surgery for IFI and GTPI, results in improved patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review of Level IV and V (case report) studies.