Exploring Factors Associated With Successful Nonpharmacological Interventions for People With Dementia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated existing nonpharmacological programs for people with dementia (PWD) to explore critical factors related to the effectiveness of these types of programs. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative systematic literature review to identify nonpharmacological intervention programs developed for PWD and reviewed 36 randomized controlled trials. Among several outcomes reported in each study, we focused on the most common outcomes including quality of life (QoL), neuropsychiatric symptoms, depression, agitation, and cognition for further review. RESULTS: Several factors were identified that might affect the outcomes of nonpharmacological interventions for PWD including study design, characteristics of the intervention, maintaining research participants, heterogeneity issues, and implementation fidelity. About half of studies in this review reported positive program effects on their targeted outcomes such as Well-being and Health for PWD on improving quality of life, neuropsychiatric symptoms and agitation; cognitive stimulation therapy on QoL, neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognition; and a stepwise multicomponent intervention on neuropsychiatric symptoms, depression and agitation. CONCLUSIONS: We found some programs even with a rigorous study design did not produce expected outcomes while other programs with poor designs reported positive outcomes, which necessitates further investigation on the validity of the assessments. Factors such as individual tailored and customized interventions, promoting social interactions, ease of administration and compatibility of interventions, and developing program theory need to be considered when developing nonpharmacological intervention programs.

Mediating Effects of Frailty Indicators on the Risk of Sepsis After Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer survivors are at increased risk of sepsis, possibly attributed to weakened physiologic conditions. The aims of this study were to examine the mediation effect of indicators of frailty on the association between cancer survivorship and sepsis incidence and whether these differences varied by race. METHODS: We performed a prospective analysis using data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort from years 2003 to 2012. We categorized frailty as the presence of ≥2 frailty components (weakness, exhaustion, and low physical activity). We categorized participants as "cancer survivors" or "no cancer history" derived from self-reported responses of being diagnosed with any cancer. We examined the mediation effect of frailty on the association between cancer survivorship and sepsis incidence using Cox regression. We repeated analysis stratified by race. RESULTS: Among 28 062 eligible participants, 2773 (9.88%) were cancer survivors and 25 289 (90.03%) were no cancer history participants. Among a total 1315 sepsis cases, cancer survivors were more likely to develop sepsis (12.66% vs 3.81%, P < .01) when compared to participants with no cancer history (hazard ratios: 2.62, 95% confidence interval: 2.31-2.98, P < .01). The mediation effects of frailty on the log-hazard scale were very small: weakness (0.57%), exhaustion (0.31%), low physical activity (0.20%), frailty (0.75%), and total number of frailty indicators (0.69%). Similar results were observed when stratified by race. CONCLUSION: Cancer survivors had more than a 2-fold increased risk of sepsis, and indicators of frailty contributed to less than 1% of this disparity.

A Prospective Study of Community Mediators on the Risk of Sepsis After Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined whether community factors mediate the relationship between patients surviving cancer and future development of sepsis. We determined the influence of community characteristics upon risk of sepsis after cancer, and whether there are differences by race. METHODS: We performed a prospective analysis using data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort years 2003 to 2012 complemented with county-level community characteristics from the American Community Survey and County Health Rankings. We categorized those with a self-reported prior cancer diagnosis as "cancer survivors" and those without a history of cancer as "no cancer history." We defined sepsis as hospitalization for a serious infection with ≥2 systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. We examined the mediation effect of community characteristics on the association between cancer survivorship and sepsis incidence using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, race, and total number of comorbidities. We repeated analysis stratified by race. RESULTS: There were 28 840 eligible participants, of which 2860 (9.92%) were cancer survivors, and 25 289 (90.08%) were no cancer history participants. The only observed community-level mediation effects were from income (% mediated 0.07%; natural indirect effect [NIE] on hazard scale] = 1.001, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.000-1.005) and prevalence of adult smoking (% mediated = 0.21%; NIE = 1.002, 95% CI: 1.000-1.004). We observed similar effects when stratified by race. CONCLUSION: Cancer survivors are at increased risk of sepsis; however, this association is weakly mediated by community poverty and smoking prevalence.

Quantitative Synthesis of Timed 25-Foot Walk Performance in Multiple Sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a meta-analysis of articles that have included the timed 25-foot walk (T25FW) in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), quantify differences in T25FW scores between those with MS and controls without MS, and quantify differences between categories of disability status and clinical disease courses within MS. DATA SOURCES: The literature search was conducted using 4 databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, EBSCO Host). We searched reference lists of published articles to identify additional articles. STUDY SELECTION: A systematic literature search identified articles reporting average T25FW performance in seconds between those with MS and controls without MS, between those with MS who had mild and moderate and/or severe disability status, and between relapsing-remitting and progressive clinical courses of MS. DATA EXTRACTION: Information was extracted and categorized based on reported data: comparisons of controls without MS and MS, comparisons of mild and moderate and/or severe MS based on study-defined Expanded Disability Status Scale groups, and comparisons of relapsing-remitting and progressive MS clinical courses. DATA SYNTHESIS: We performed a random effects meta-analysis to quantify differences between groups as estimated by effect sizes (ESs). We expressed the differences in Cohen d as well as the original units of the T25FW (ie, seconds). CONCLUSIONS: There was a large difference in T25FW performance in MS compared with controls without MS (ES=-0.93, mean difference=2.4s, P<.01). Persons with moderate and/or severe disability walked substantially slower compared with mild disability (ES=-1.02, mean difference=5.4s, P<.01), and persons with progressive courses of MS walked substantially slower than relapsing-remitting MS (ES=-1.4, mean difference=13.4s, P<.01).

Walking endurance in multiple sclerosis: Meta-analysis of six-minute walk test performance.

BACKGROUND: The 6-minute walk (6 MW) is the most commonly applied measure of endurance walking capacity in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, we are not aware of a quantitative synthesis of 6 MW performance in MS. RESEARCH QUESTION: We undertook a meta-analysis quantifying the overall magnitude of difference in 6 MW performance between MS and healthy controls (HCs), and then within MS as a function of disability status. We further examined possible moderator variables of 6 MW performance. METHODS: The systematic search was conducted for articles that included the 6 MW in persons with MS and involved comparison groups (i.e., HCs or MS disability subgroups (i.e., mild vs moderate-to-severe disability status)). The mean and standard deviation of the distance traveled during the 6 MW as well as sample sizes were entered into Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software and we estimated the overall effect size (Cohen's d) using a random effects model and examined categorical variables as possible moderators (e.g., instruction protocol, provision of encouragement, method of distance measurement, and course description). RESULTS: Thirty-four studies met inclusion criteria with a total sample size of 3204 persons (MS: 2683; HC: 521) yielding 42 total comparisons. Persons with MS walked a shorter distance than HCs (mean difference = -177.2 ±â€¯19.1 m) with a large effect size (d = - 1.87). Persons with mild disability walked further than those with moderate-to-severe disability (mean difference = 185.19 ±â€¯9.2 m) with a large effect (d = 1.83). The categorical variables of provision of encouragement and course layout moderated the effect of MS and course layout moderated the effect of disability status on 6 MW performance. SIGNIFICANCE: This meta-analysis of 6 MW performance defines mean difference in 6 MW performance in MS compared with HCs and provides an estimate of the disease-related effect of MS on endurance walking capacity for application within clinical research and practice.

Regional Disparities in Ovarian Cancer in the United States.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between geographic regions and ovarian cancer disparities in the United States. Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program was used to identify women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. 18 registries were divided into two groups: South region and US14 region. Chi-Square tests were used to compare proportions, the logistic regression model to evaluate the association between 5-year survival and other variables, and the Cox proportional hazards model to estimate hazard ratios. The South region had a lower incidence rate than the US14 region (12.0 vs. 13.4 per 100,000), and a lower 5-year observed survival rate (37.5% vs. 39.8%). White women living in the US14 region had the best overall survival, compared to white women living in the South region, and black women living in both regions. Women in the South region were less likely to have insurance (6.6% vs. 2.7%, p<0.0001) and surgery (73.4% vs. 76.2%, p<0.0001). Women living in the South were 1.4 times more likely to die after five years of diagnosis than women living in the US14 region. The data confirmed regional disparities in ovarian cancer in the United States, showing women living in the South region were disadvantaged in ovarian cancer survival regardless of race, black or white. Future research focusing on the identification of contributing factors to regional disparity in ovarian cancer is necessary to develop practical approaches to improve health outcomes related to this lethal disease.

A prospective study of cancer survivors and risk of sepsis within the REGARDS cohort.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized cancer patients are nearly 10 times more likely to develop sepsis when compared to patients with no cancer history. We compared the risk of sepsis between cancer survivors and no cancer history participants, and examined whether race was an effect modifier. METHODS: We performed a prospective analysis of data from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. We categorized participants as "cancer survivors" or "no cancer history" derived from self-reported responses of being diagnosed with any cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer. We defined sepsis as hospitalization for a serious infection with ≥2 systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. We performed Cox proportional hazard models to examine the risk of sepsis after cancer (adjusted for sociodemographics, health behaviors, and comorbidities), and stratified by race. RESULTS: Among 29,693 eligible participants, 2959 (9.97%) were cancer survivors, and 26,734 (90.03%) were no cancer history participants. Among 1393 sepsis events, the risk of sepsis was higher for cancer survivors (adjusted HR: 2.61, 95% CI: 2.29-2.98) when compared to no cancer history participants. Risk of sepsis after cancer survivorship was similar for Black and White participants (p value for race and cancer interaction = 0.63). CONCLUSION: In this prospective cohort of community-dwelling adults we observed that cancer survivors had more than a 2.5-fold increased risk of sepsis. Public health efforts should attempt to mitigate sepsis risk by awareness and appropriate treatment (e.g., antibiotic administration) to cancer survivors with suspected infection regardless of the number of years since cancer remission.

Multigroup Equivalence Analysis for High-Dimensional Expression Data.

Hypothesis tests of equivalence are typically known for their application in bioequivalence studies and acceptance sampling. Their application to gene expression data, in particular high-dimensional gene expression data, has only recently been studied. In this paper, we examine how two multigroup equivalence tests, the F-test and the range test, perform when applied to microarray expression data. We adapted these tests to a well-known equivalence criterion, the difference ratio. Our simulation results showed that both tests can achieve moderate power while controlling the type I error at nominal level for typical expression microarray studies with the benefit of easy-to-interpret equivalence limits. For the range of parameters simulated in this paper, the F-test is more powerful than the range test. However, for comparing three groups, their powers are similar. Finally, the two multigroup tests were applied to a prostate cancer microarray dataset to identify genes whose expression follows a prespecified trajectory across five prostate cancer stages.

Effect of imaging powder and CAD/CAM stone types on the marginal gap of zirconia crowns.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the marginal gap using different types of die stones and titanium dies with and without powders for imaging. METHODS: A melamine tooth was prepared and scanned using a laboratory 3-shape scanner to mill a polyurethane die, which was duplicated into different stones (Jade, Lean, CEREC) and titanium. Each die was sprayed with imaging powders (NP, IPS, Optispray, Vita) to form 15 groups. Ten of each combination of stone/titanium and imaging powders were used to mill crowns. A light-bodied impression material was injected into the intaglio surface of each crown and placed on the corresponding die. Each crown was removed, and the monophase material was injected to form a monophase die, which was cut into 8 sections. Digital images were captured using a stereomicroscope to measure marginal gap. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the particle size and shape of imaging powders and stones. RESULTS: Marginal gaps ranged from mean (standard deviation) 49.32 to 1.20 micrometers (3.97-42.41 µm). There was no statistical difference (P > .05) in the marginal gap by any combination of stone/titanium and imaging powders. All of the imaging powders had a similar size and rounded shape, whereas the surface of the stones showed different structures. CONCLUSIONS: When a laboratory 3-shape scanner is used, all imaging powders performed the same for scanning titanium abutments. However, there was no added value related to the use of imaging powder on die stone. It is recommended that the selection of stone for a master cast be based on the hysical properties. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: When a laboratory 3-shape scanner is used, the imaging powder is not required for scanning die stone. Whenever scanning titanium implant abutments, select the least expensive imaging powder.

Adsorption characteristics of activated carbon fibers (ACFs) for toluene: application in respiratory protection.

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is currently the standard adsorbent in respirators against several gases and vapors because of its efficiency, low cost, and available technology. However, a drawback of GAC due to its granular form is its need for containment, adding weight and bulkiness to respirators. This makes respirators uncomfortable to wear, resulting in poor compliance in their use. Activated carbon fibers (ACF) are considered viable alternative adsorbent materials for developing thinner, light-weight, and efficient respirators because of their larger surface area, lighter weight, and fabric form. This study aims to determine the critical bed depth and adsorption capacity of different types of commercially available ACFs for toluene to understand how thin a respirator can be and the service life of the adsorbents, respectively. ACF in cloth (ACFC) and felt (ACFF) forms with three different surface areas per form were tested. Each ACF type was challenged with six concentrations of toluene (50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 ppm) at constant air temperature (23°C), relative humidity (50%), and airflow (16 LPM) at different adsorbent weights and bed depths. Breakthrough data were obtained for each adsorbent using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. The ACFs' surface areas were measured by an automatic physisorption analyzer. The results showed that ACFC has a lower critical bed depth and higher adsorption capacity compared to ACFF with similar surface area for each toluene concentration. Among the ACF types, ACFC2000 (cloth with the highest measured surface area of 1614 ± 5 m(2)/g) has one of the lowest critical bed depths (ranging from 0.11-0.22 cm) and has the highest adsorption capacity (ranging from 595-878 mg/g). Based on these studied adsorption characteristics, it is concluded that ACF has great potential for application in respiratory protection against toluene, particularly the ACFC2000, which is the best candidate for developing thinner and efficient respirators.

Early coagulopathy is an independent predictor of mortality in children after severe trauma.

To determine whether early coagulopathy affects the mortality associated with severe civilian pediatric trauma, trauma patients younger than 18 years admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit from 2001 to 2010 were evaluated. Patients with burns, primary asphyxiation, preexisting bleeding diathesis, lack of coagulation studies, or transferred from other hospitals more than 24 h after injury were excluded. Age, sex, race, mechanism of injury, initial systolic blood pressure, Glasgow Coma Scale score, Injury Severity Score, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, platelet count, and international normalized ratio were recorded. An arterial or venous blood gas was performed, if clinically indicated. Coagulopathy was defined as an international normalized ratio greater than 1.2. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were lengths of intensive care unit and hospital stay. Eight hundred three patients were included in the study. Overall mortality was 13.4%. The incidence of age-adjusted hypotension was 5.4%. Early coagulopathy was observed in 37.9% of patients. High Injury Severity Score and/or hypotension were associated with early coagulopathy and higher mortality. Early coagulopathy was associated with a modest increase in mortality in pediatric trauma patients without traumatic brain injury (TBI). In contrast, the combination of TBI and early coagulopathy was associated with a fourfold increase in mortality in this patient population. Early coagulopathy is an independent predictor of mortality in civilian pediatric patients with severe trauma. The increase in mortality was particularly significant in patients with TBI either isolated or combined with other injuries, suggesting that a rapid correction of this coagulopathy could substantially decrease the mortality after TBI in pediatric trauma patients.

Influence of low-temperature environmental exposure on the mechanical properties and structural stability of dental zirconia.

PURPOSE: The effect of dental fabrication procedures of zirconia monolithic restorations and changes in properties during low-temperature exposure in the oral environment is not completely understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of procedures for fabrication of dental restorations by low-temperature simulation and relative changes of flexural strength, nanoindentation hardness, Young's modulus, surface roughness, and structural stability of yttria-stabilized zirconia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 64 zirconia specimens were prepared to simulate dental practice. The specimens were divided into the control group and the accelerated aging group. The simulated group followed the same procedure as the control group except for the aging treatment. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure surface roughness. The degree of tetragonal-to-monoclinic transformation was determined using X-ray diffraction. Nanoindentation hardness and modulus measurements were carried out on the surface of the zirconia specimens using a nanoindenter XP/G200 system. The yttria levels for nonaged and aged specimens were measured using energy dispersive spectroscopy. Flexural strength was determined using the piston-on-three-ball test. The t-test was used to determine statistical significance. RESULTS: Means and standard deviations were calculated using all observations for each condition and evaluated using a group t-test (p < 0.05). The LTD treatment resulted in increased surface roughness (from 12.23 nm to 21.56 nm for Ra and 15.06 nm to 27.45 nm for RMS) and monoclinic phase fractions (from 2% to 21%), with a concomitant decrease in hardness (from 16.56 GPa to 15.14 GPa) and modulus (from 275.68 GPa to 256.56 GPa). Yttria content (from 4.43% to 4.46%) and flexural strength (from 586 MPa to 578 MPa) were not significantly altered, supporting longer term in vivo function without biomechanical fracture. CONCLUSION: The LTD treatment induced the tetragonal-to-monoclinic transformation with surface roughening in zirconia prepared using dental procedures.

Head and neck mucosal malignant melanoma: clinicopathologic correlation with contemporary review of prognostic indicators.

Unlike their cutaneous counterparts, head and neck mucosal malignant melanomas (HNMM) behave much more aggressively and their prognostic markers have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the clinicopathologic features of a contemporary series of primary HNMM, retrieved from archival material of 2 large medical centers, and to explore the association, if any, between these variables, the clinical features, and outcomes. The clinicopathologic, radiographic, and follow-up information as well as the dominant histologic pattern, mitotic rate, presence/absence of pigmentation, necrosis, ulceration, vascular invasion, and host-associated lymphocytic response were retrieved and recorded. Twenty cases were identified including 1 melanoma in situ. Eight-five percent of tumors arose in the sinonasal tract and 3 (15%) in the oral cavity. After a median follow-up of 25 months, all patients with invasive melanoma developed recurrence and/or metastasis. Local recurrences occurred in 82% of the patients after a median of 12 months, and distant metastasis occurred in 71% of the patients after a median of 13 months. Of those with adequate follow-up, 82% died with disease, and the remaining 3 had recurrent or metastatic disease. Fourth-seven percent of tumors were pigmented, 89% showed at least focal necrosis, and 93% demonstrated ulceration. Sixth-eight percent showed vascular invasion and 63% had a brisk host lymphocytic response. Mitotic rates ranged from 2 to 60/10 high-power fields. The absence of an invasive component might be associated with a better prognosis but other clinical and pathological features that predict outcome, and/or could influence therapy, remain to be determined in HNMM.

Safety-net facilities and hospitalization rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 Texas Health Care Information Council inpatient data.

PURPOSE: Geographic disparities in hospitalization rates for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been observed in Texas. However, little is known about the sources of these variations. The purpose of this manuscript is to further explore the geographic disparity of COPD hospitalization rates in Texas by examining county-level factors affecting access to care. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study is a cross-sectional analysis of the 2007 Texas Health Care Information Council, Texas, demographer population projections and the 2009 Area Resource File (ARF). The unit of analysis was county-specific hospitalization rate, calculated as the number of discharges of county residents divided by county-level population estimates. Indicators of access to care included: type of safety-net facility and number of pulmonary specialists in a county. Safety-net facilities of interest were federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs). RESULTS: There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in hospitalization rates according to health center presence. Counties with only FQHCs had the lowest COPD hospitalization rate (132 per 100,000 observations), and counties with only RHCs had the highest hospitalization rate (229 per 100,000 observations). The presence of a pulmonary specialist was associated with a significant decrease (25%) in hospitalization rates among counties with only FQHCs. CONCLUSION: In Texas, counties with only FQHCs were associated with lower COPD hospitalization rates. The presence of a RHC alone may be insufficient to decrease hospitalizations from COPD. There are a number of factors that may contribute to these variations in hospitalization rates, such as racial/ethnic distribution, types and quality of services provided, and the level of rurality, which creates greater distances to care and lower concentration of hospitals and pulmonary specialists.

Short-term effect of fenofibrate on C-reactive protein: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) is positively associated with risk for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Some but not all randomized and non-randomized clinical trials found significant associations between fenofibrate therapy and CRP but the direction and magnitude of the association varied across studies. The duration of treatment, patient populations and sample sizes varied greatly, and most short-term studies (i.e., ≤ 12 weeks) had fewer than 50 patients. In this study we meta-analyzed randomized clinical trials to determine the short-term effect of fenofibrate on CRP. METHODS: Two reviewers independently searched PubMed and other online databases for short-term randomized clinical trials that reported CRP concentrations before and after fenofibrate treatment. Of the 81 studies examined, 14 studies with 540 patients were found eligible. Data for the change in CRP and corresponding measures of dispersion were extracted for use in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The weighted mean CRP concentrations before and after fenofibrate therapy were 2.15 mg/L and 1.53 mg/L (-28.8% change), respectively. Inverse-variance weighted random effects meta-analysis revealed that short-term fenofibrate treatment significantly lowers CRP by 0.58 mg/L (95% CI: 0.36-0.80). There was significant heterogeneity between studies (Q statistic = 64.5, P< 0.0001, I2 = 79.8%). There was no evidence of publication bias and sensitivity analysis revealed that omitting any of the 14 studies did not lead to a different conclusion from the overall meta-analysis result. CONCLUSION: Short-term treatment with fenofibrate significantly lowers CRP concentration. Randomized trials that will recruit patients based with high baseline CRP concentrations and with change in CRP as a primary outcome are needed.

Meta-analysis of multiple primary prevention trials of cardiovascular events using aspirin.

Several meta-analyses have focused on determination of the effectiveness of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) in primary prevention of cardiovascular (CV) events. Despite these data, the role of aspirin in primary prevention continues to be investigated. Nine randomized trials have evaluated the benefits of aspirin for the primary prevention of CV events: the British Doctors' Trial (BMD), the Physicians' Health Study (PHS), the Thrombosis Prevention Trial (TPT), the Hypertension Optimal Treatment (HOT) study, the Primary Prevention Project (PPP), the Women's Health Study (WHS), the Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis Trial (AAAT), the Prevention of Progression of Arterial Disease and Diabetes (POPADAD) trial, and the Japanese Primary Prevention of Atherosclerosis With Aspirin for Diabetes (JPAD) trial. The combined sample consists of about 90,000 subjects divided approximately evenly between those taking aspirin and subjects not taking aspirin or taking placebo. A meta-analysis of these 9 trials assessed 6 CV end points: total coronary heart disease, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), total CV events, stroke, CV mortality, and all-cause mortality. No covariate adjustment was performed, and appropriate tests for treatment effect, heterogeneity, and study size bias were applied. The meta-analysis suggested superiority of aspirin for total CV events and nonfatal MI, (p <0.05 for each), with nonsignificant results for decreased risk for stroke, CV mortality, and all-cause mortality. There was no evidence of a statistical bias (p >0.05). In conclusion, aspirin decreased the risk for CV events and nonfatal MI in this large sample. Thus, primary prevention with aspirin decreased the risk for total CV events and nonfatal MI, but there were no significant differences in the incidences of stroke, CV mortality, all-cause mortality and total coronary heart disease.

Meta-analysis of hemorrhagic complications from ventriculostomy placement by neurosurgeons.

BACKGROUND: Ventriculostomy placement is an important diagnostic and therapeutic tool for neurosurgeons. Multiple authors have presented retrospective series of patients evaluating periprocedure hemorrhage. OBJECTIVE: We performed a meta-analysis of existing studies to determine a more accurate rate of hemorrhage. METHODS: A MEDLINE and PubMed search was performed to find all studies of 25 or more patients conducted since 1970 that found a hemorrhagic complication rate from placement of a ventriculostomy. Studies in which a non-neurosurgeon placed the ventriculostomy and studies involving premature infants were excluded. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were used to obtain data from 2428 ventriculostomy procedures. Hemorrhage was found after 203 procedures, and 52 of these hemorrhages were deemed significant by the authors. The cumulative rate of hemorrhage was 7.0% (95% confidence interval: 4.5%-9.4%), with P < .05. The cumulative rate of significant hemorrhage was 0.8% (95% confidence interval: 0.2%-1.4%) with P < .05. CONCLUSION: Based on our meta-analysis, the overall hemorrhagic complication rate from ventriculostomy placement by neurosurgeons is approximately 7%. The rate of significant hemorrhage from ventriculostomy placement is approximately 0.8%. Further prospective studies are warranted to better address this question.

Fifteen-year trend in the use of male reproductive surgery: analysis of the healthcare cost and utilization project data.

OBJECTIVE: • To determine trends in male reproductive surgeries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: • A database analysis was performed using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project databases from 1988, 1992 and 1998-2002. SAS statistical software was used to estimate the total numbers of reproductive surgeries and their variances for each year. RESULTS: • The number of male reproductive surgeries has declined during the period of study, both in the inpatient and outpatient arenas. The number of procedures with a diagnosis of infertility has also declined. CONCLUSION: • The number of male reproductive surgeries has declined from 1988 to 2002.

Geographic disparity in COPD hospitalization rates among the Texas population.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality caused by cigarette smoking and other environmental exposures. While variation in exposures may affect COPD morbidity and mortality, little is known about geographic variation, a surrogate of exposures. The objective of this manuscript is to explore the geographic variation in COPD hospitalization rates among the Texas population in 2006. METHODS: The study population consisted of all Texas residents with COPD hospitalizations in the 2006 Texas Health Care Information Council (THCIC) data. County population estimates stratified by race, age, and gender were linked to THCIC data to calculate county level COPD hospitalization rates per 100,000 admissions. The data were merged with Urban Influence Codes by county, and metropolitan status was determined by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) criteria. Variation in COPD hospitalization rates were analyzed using Poisson Regression. RESULTS: Overall, non Hispanic (NH) Whites had the highest rate of hospitalization, followed by NH Blacks (rate ratio=0.42) and Hispanics (RR=0.17), the 65+ age category had the highest rates of hospitalization. In the metropolitan counties COPD hospitalization rates were lower than non-metropolitan counties, however in metropolitan counties the rates of hospitalization were significantly higher (p<0.0001) in females compared to males. The rates were significantly higher in males in public health regions 10 and 11, which are predominantly non-metropolitan counties. CONCLUSIONS: In Texas there is substantial geographic variation in hospitalization rates associated with gender and race/ethnicity. Other factors that may contribute to the variation and require further investigation include differences in smoking and exposure to other environmental risk factors, access to primary care, medical practice patterns, and coding practices.

Postnatal episodic ozone results in persistent attenuation of pulmonary and peripheral blood responses to LPS challenge.

Early life is a dynamic period of growth for the lung and immune system. We hypothesized that ambient ozone exposure during postnatal development can affect the innate immune response to other environmental challenges in a persistent fashion. To test this hypothesis, we exposed infant rhesus macaque monkeys to a regimen of 11 ozone cycles between 30 days and 6 mo of age; each cycle consisted of ozone for 5 days (0.5 parts per million at 8 h/day) followed by 9 days of filtered air. Animals were subsequently housed in filtered air conditions and challenged with a single dose of inhaled LPS at 1 yr of age. After completion of the ozone exposure regimen at 6 mo of age, total peripheral blood leukocyte and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) numbers were reduced, whereas eosinophil counts increased. In lavage, total cell numbers at 6 mo were not affected by ozone, however, there was a significant reduction in lymphocytes and increased eosinophils. Following an additional 6 mo of filtered air housing, only monocytes were increased in blood and lavage in previously exposed animals. In response to LPS challenge, animals with a prior history of ozone showed an attenuated peripheral blood and lavage PMN response compared with controls. In vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with LPS resulted in reduced secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 protein in association with prior ozone exposure. Collectively, our findings suggest that ozone exposure during infancy can result in a persistent effect on both pulmonary and systemic innate immune responses later in life.