Advanced MRI metrics improve the prediction of baseline disease severity for individuals with degenerative cervical myelopathy.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common form of atraumatic spinal cord injury globally. Degeneration of spinal discs, bony osteophyte growth and ligament pathology results in physical compression of the spinal cord contributing to damage of white matter tracts and grey matter cellular populations. This results in an insidious neurological and functional decline in patients which can lead to paralysis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirms the diagnosis of DCM and is a prerequisite to surgical intervention, the only known treatment for this disorder. Unfortunately, there is a weak correlation between features of current commonly acquired MRI scans ("community MRI, cMRI") and the degree of disability experienced by a patient. PURPOSE: This study examines the predictive ability of current MRI sequences relative to "advanced MRI" (aMRI) metrics designed to detect evidence of spinal cord injury secondary to degenerative myelopathy. We hypothesize that the utilization of higher fidelity aMRI scans will increase the effectiveness of machine learning models predicting DCM severity and may ultimately lead to a more efficient protocol for identifying patients in need of surgical intervention. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Single institution analysis of imaging registry of patients with DCM. PATIENT SAMPLE: A total of 296 patients in the cMRI group and 228 patients in the aMRI group. OUTCOME MEASURES: Physiologic measures: accuracy of machine learning algorithms to detect severity of DCM assessed clinically based on the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) scale. METHODS: Patients enrolled in the Canadian Spine Outcomes Research Network registry with DCM were screened and 296 cervical spine MRIs acquired in cMRI were compared with 228 aMRI acquisitions. aMRI acquisitions consisted of diffusion tensor imaging, magnetization transfer, T2-weighted, and T2*-weighted images. The cMRI group consisted of only T2-weighted MRI scans. Various machine learning models were applied to both MRI groups to assess accuracy of prediction of baseline disease severity assessed clinically using the mJOA scale for cervical myelopathy. RESULTS: Through the utilization of Random Forest Classifiers, disease severity was predicted with 41.8% accuracy in cMRI scans and 73.3% in the aMRI scans. Across different predictive model variations tested, the aMRI scans consistently produced higher prediction accuracies compared to the cMRI counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: aMRI metrics perform better in machine learning models at predicting disease severity of patients with DCM. Continued work is needed to refine these models and address DCM severity class imbalance concerns, ultimately improving model confidence for clinical implementation.

The emerging role of digital health in the management of asthma.

The most common reasons seen for lack of asthma control include misconceptions about disease control, low controller treatment adherence, poor inhaler technique, and the resulting underuse of controllers and overuse of short-acting beta2 agonists (SABAs). Narrowing these care gaps may be achieved through well-designed patient education that considers the patient's motivation, beliefs, and capabilities regarding their asthma and its management and empowers the patient to become an active participant in treatment decisions. Digital health technologies (DHTs) and digital therapeutic (DT) devices provide new opportunities to monitor treatment behaviors, improve communication between healthcare providers and patients, and generate data that inform educational interactions. DHT and DT have been proven effective in enhancing patient self-management in other chronic conditions, particularly diabetes. Accelerated integration of DHT and DT into the management of asthma patients is facilitated by the use of digital inhalers that employ sensor technology ("smart" inhalers). These devices efficiently provide real-time feedback on controller adherence, SABA use, and inhaler technique that have the strong potential to optimize asthma control.

Surgical outcomes of patients who fail to reach minimal clinically important differences: comparison of minimally invasive versus open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of degenerative lumbar diseases has been shown to be clinically effective with open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (O-TLIF) or minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF). Despite this, a substantial proportion of patients do not meet minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) in patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The objectives of this study were to compare the proportions of patients who did not meet MCIDs after O-TLIF and MIS-TLIF and to determine potential clinical factors associated with failure to achieve MCID. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients who underwent O-TLIF or MIS-TLIF for lumbar degenerative disorders and had been prospectively enrolled in the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network. The authors analyzed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, physical and mental component summary scores of SF-12, numeric rating scale (NRS) scores for leg and back pain, and EQ-5D scores of the patients in each group who did not meet the MCID of ODI at 2 years postoperatively. RESULTS: In this study, 38.8% (137 of 353) of patients in the O-TLIF cohort and 41.8% (51 of 122) of patients in the MIS-TLIF cohort did not meet the MCID of ODI at 2 years postoperatively (p = 0.59). Demographic variables and baseline PROs were similar between groups. There were improvements across the PROs of both groups through 2 years, and there were no differences in any PROs between the O-TLIF and MIS-TLIF cohorts. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that higher baseline leg pain score (p = 0.017) and a diagnosis of spondylolisthesis (p = 0.0053) or degenerative disc disease (p = 0.022) were associated with achieving the MCID at 2 years after O-TLIF, whereas higher baseline leg pain score was associated with reaching the MCID after MIS-TLIF (p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Similar proportions of patients failed to reach the MCID of ODI at 2 years after O-TLIF or MIS-TLIF. Higher baseline leg pain score was predictive of achieving the MCID in both cohorts, whereas a diagnosis of spondylolisthesis or degenerative disc disease was predictive of reaching the MCID after O-TLIF. These data provide novel insights for patient counseling and suggest that either MIS-TLIF or O-TLIF does not overcome specific patient factors to mitigate clinical success or failure in terms of the intermediate-term PROs associated with 1- to 2-level lumbar fusion surgical procedures for degenerative pathologies.

Lumbar Fusion Surgery for Patients With Back Pain and Degenerative Disc Disease: An Observational Study From the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network.

STUDY DESIGN: Uncontrolled retrospective observational study. OBJECTIVES: Surgery for patients with back pain and degenerative disc disease is controversial, and studies to date have yielded conflicting results. We evaluated the effects of lumbar fusion surgery for patients with this indication in the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network (CSORN). METHODS: We analyzed data that were prospectively collected from consecutive patients at 11 centers between 2015 and 2019. Our primary outcome was change in patient-reported back pain at 12 months of follow-up, and our secondary outcomes were satisfaction, disability, health-related quality of life, and rates of adverse events. RESULTS: Among 84 patients, we observed a statistically significant improvement of back pain at 12 months that exceeded the threshold of Minimum Clinically Important Difference (MCID) (mean change -3.7 points, SD 2.6, p < 0.001, MCID = 1.2; 77% achieved MCID), and 81% reported being "somewhat" or "extremely" satisfied. We also observed improvements of Oswestry Disability Index (-17.3, SD 16.6), Short Form-12 Physical Component Summary (10.3, SD 9.6) and Short Form-12 Mental Component Summary (3.1, SD 8.3); all p < 0.001). The overall rate of adverse events was 19%. CONCLUSIONS: Among a highly selective group of patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative disc disease, most experienced a clinically significant improvement of back pain as well as significant improvements of disability and health-related quality of life, with high satisfaction at 1 year of follow-up. These findings suggest that surgery for this indication may provide some benefit, and that further research is warranted.

Next-generation Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines for allergic rhinitis based on Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) and real-world evidence

The selection of pharmacotherapy for patients with allergic rhinitis aims to control the disease and depends on many factors. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines have considerably improved the treatment of allergic rhinitis. However, there is an increasing trend toward use of real-world evidence to inform clinical practice, especially because randomized controlled trials are often limited with regard to the applicability of results. The Contre les Maladies Chroniques pour un Vieillissement Actif (MACVIA) algorithm has proposed an allergic rhinitis treatment by a consensus group. This simple algorithm can be used to step up or step down allergic rhinitis treatment. Next-generation guidelines for the pharmacologic treatment of allergic rhinitis were developed by using existing GRADE-based guidelines for the disease, real-world evidence provided by mobile technology, and additive studies (allergen chamber studies) to refine the MACVIA algorithm.

Next-generation Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines for allergic rhinitis based on Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) and real-world evidence.

The selection of pharmacotherapy for patients with allergic rhinitis aims to control the disease and depends on many factors. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines have considerably improved the treatment of allergic rhinitis. However, there is an increasing trend toward use of real-world evidence to inform clinical practice, especially because randomized controlled trials are often limited with regard to the applicability of results. The Contre les Maladies Chroniques pour un Vieillissement Actif (MACVIA) algorithm has proposed an allergic rhinitis treatment by a consensus group. This simple algorithm can be used to step up or step down allergic rhinitis treatment. Next-generation guidelines for the pharmacologic treatment of allergic rhinitis were developed by using existing GRADE-based guidelines for the disease, real-world evidence provided by mobile technology, and additive studies (allergen chamber studies) to refine the MACVIA algorithm.

Overarching challenges to the implementation of competency-based medical education.

Medical education is under increasing pressure to more effectively prepare physicians to meet the needs of patients and populations. With its emphasis on individual, programmatic, and institutional outcomes, competency-based medical education (CBME) has the potential to realign medical education with this societal expectation. Implementing CBME, however, comes with significant challenges. This manuscript describes four overarching challenges that must be confronted by medical educators worldwide in the implementation of CBME: (1) the need to align all regulatory stakeholders in order to facilitate the optimization of training programs and learning environments so that they support competency-based progression; (2) the purposeful integration of efforts to redesign both medical education and the delivery of clinical care; (3) the need to establish expected outcomes for individuals, programs, training institutions, and health care systems so that performance can be measured; and (4) the need to establish a culture of mutual accountability for the achievement of these defined outcomes. In overcoming these challenges, medical educators, leaders, and policy-makers will need to seek collaborative approaches to common problems and to learn from innovators who have already successfully made the transition to CBME.

Development of a Competence-Based Spine Surgery Fellowship Curriculum Set of Learning Objectives in Canada.

STUDY DESIGN: Modified-Delphi expert consensus method. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop competence-based spine fellowship curricula as a set of learning goals through expert consensus methodology in order to provide an educational tool for surgical educators and trainees. Secondarily, we aimed to determine potential differences among specialties in their rating of learning objectives to defined curriculum documents. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There has been recent interest in competence-based education in the training of future surgeons. Current spine fellowships often work on a preceptor-based model, and recent studies have demonstrated that graduating spine fellows may not necessarily be exposed to key cognitive and procedural competencies throughout their training that are expected of a practicing spine surgeon. METHODS: A consensus group of 32 spine surgeons from across Canada was assembled. A modified-Delphi approach refined an initial fellowship-level curriculum set of learning objectives (108 cognitive and 84 procedural competencies obtained from open sources). A consensus threshold of 70% was chosen with up to 5 rounds of blinded voting performed. Members were asked to ratify objectives into either a general comprehensive or focused/advanced curriculum. RESULTS: Twenty-eight of 32 consultants (88%) responded and participated in voting rounds. Seventy-eight (72%) cognitive and 63 (75%) procedural competency objectives reached 70% consensus in the first round. This increased to 82 cognitive and 73 procedural objectives by round 4. The final curriculum document evolved to include a general comprehensive curriculum (91 cognitive and 53 procedural objectives), a focused/advanced curriculum (22 procedural objectives), and a pediatrics curriculum (22 cognitive and 9 procedural objectives). CONCLUSION: Through a consensus-building approach, the study authors have developed a competence-based curriculum set of learning objectives anticipated to be of educational value to spine surgery fellowship educators and trainees. To our knowledge, this is one of the first nationally based efforts of its kind that is also anticipated to be of interest by international colleagues.

Improvement of a low-level mesurement system used at LNHB.

In this new approach, the active shielding of a low level spectrometer is monitored by an extendable dead time used as an "extendable GATE" signal. This concept is directly inspired from the live-timed anti-coincidence system implemented at LNE-LNHB (MTR2 modules). This allows a significant reduction in the cost and complexity of the system since several electronic modules are replaced by only one module dedicated specifically to this type of experiment. Settings of this new approach are detailed and results are discussed.

Knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding Clostridium difficile: a survey of physicians in an academic medical center.

Using current guidelines, we surveyed physicians at our hospital to ascertain knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding Clostridium difficile infection. The survey identified significant gaps in knowledge and practice. Infection control professionals should include physician education on Clostridium difficile infection diagnosis, isolation precautions, and treatment as part of a comprehensive control program.

Canadian clinical practice guidelines for acute and chronic rhinosinusitis.

This document provides health care practitioners with information regarding the management of acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) to enable them to better meet the needs of this patient population. These guidelines describe controversies in the management of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) and include recommendations that take into account changes in the bacteriologic landscape. Recent guidelines in ABRS have been released by American and European groups as recently as 2007, but these are either limited in their coverage of the subject of CRS, do not follow an evidence-based strategy, or omit relevant stakeholders in the development of guidelines and do not address the particulars of the Canadian health care environment.Advances in understanding the pathophysiology of CRS, along with the development of appropriate therapeutic strategies, have improved outcomes for patients with CRS. CRS now affects large numbers of patients globally, and primary care practitioners are confronted by this disease on a daily basis. Although initially considered a chronic bacterial infection, CRS is now recognized as having multiple distinct components (eg, infection, inflammation), which have led to changes in therapeutic approaches (eg, increased use of corticosteroids). The role of bacteria in the persistence of chronic infections and the roles of surgical and medical management are evolving. Although evidence is limited, guidance for managing patients with CRS would help practitioners less experienced in this area offer rational care. It is no longer reasonable to manage CRS as a prolonged version of ARS, but, rather, specific therapeutic strategies adapted to pathogenesis must be developed and diffused.Guidelines must take into account all available evidence and incorporate these in an unbiased fashion into management recommendations based on the quality of evidence, therapeutic benefit, and risks incurred. This document is focused on readability rather than completeness yet covers relevant information, offers summaries of areas where considerable evidence exists, and provides recommendations with an assessment of the strength of the evidence base and the degree of endorsement by the multidisciplinary expert group preparing the document.These guidelines have been copublished in both Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology and the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Canadian clinical practice guidelines for acute and chronic rhinosinusitis.

This document provides healthcare practitioners with information regarding the management of acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) to enable them to better meet the needs of this patient population. These guidelines describe controversies in the management of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) and include recommendations that take into account changes in the bacteriologic landscape. Recent guidelines in ABRS have been released by American and European groups as recently as 2007, but these are either limited in their coverage of the subject of CRS, do not follow an evidence-based strategy, or omit relevant stakeholders in guidelines development, and do not address the particulars of the Canadian healthcare environment.Advances in understanding the pathophysiology of CRS, along with the development of appropriate therapeutic strategies, have improved outcomes for patients with CRS. CRS now affects large numbers of patients globally and primary care practitioners are confronted by this disease on a daily basis. Although initially considered a chronic bacterial infection, CRS is now recognized as having multiple distinct components (eg, infection, inflammation), which have led to changes in therapeutic approaches (eg, increased use of corticosteroids). The role of bacteria in the persistence of chronic infections, and the roles of surgical and medical management are evolving. Although evidence is limited, guidance for managing patients with CRS would help practitioners less experienced in this area offer rational care. It is no longer reasonable to manage CRS as a prolonged version of ARS, but rather, specific therapeutic strategies adapted to pathogenesis must be developed and diffused.Guidelines must take into account all available evidence and incorporate these in an unbiased fashion into management recommendations based on the quality of evidence, therapeutic benefit, and risks incurred. This document is focused on readability rather than completeness, yet covers relevant information, offers summaries of areas where considerable evidence exists, and provides recommendations with an assessment of strength of the evidence base and degree of endorsement by the multidisciplinary expert group preparing the document.These guidelines have been copublished in both Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology and the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Acute cervical fractures in ankylosing spondylitis: an opportunity to correct preexisting deformity.

STUDY DESIGN: A new technique for the management of traumatic cervical fracture in patients with chin-on-chest deformity in ankylosing spondylitis is presented. OBJECTIVE.: To present a new surgical technique for acute deformity correction through cervical fractures in the setting of kyphotic deformities. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Cervicothoracic kyphotic deformity in ankylosing spondylitis is currently treated with extension osteotomy in an elective setting. In elective extension osteotomies, the surgeon manipulates the head to generate osteoclasis, temporarily producing an unstable cervical fracture. Cervical fractures in ankylosing spondylitis are highly unstable and frequently associated with neurologic compromise. Most reports describe either no reduction and fixation in situ or reduction in preoperative traction followed by fixation. METHODS: A 60-year-old man with chronic ankylosing spondylitis and profound kyphotic deformity suffered a traumatic lower cervical spine fracture. He was treated with an acute cervical spine extension osteotomy through the fracture site using an anterior lengthening bar modification to a halo vest. The anterior lengthening bar allows controlled extension of the neck without manual manipulation by the surgeon. RESULTS: This patient presented with a chin-brow angle of approximately 90 degrees and was corrected to approximately 5 degrees to 8 degrees . No immediate or delayed complications were seen. After halo vest treatment for 3 months, an excellent postural correction was obtained. CONCLUSION: Surgical extension osteotomy in the lower cervical spine through the fracture site using the anterior lengthening bar-halo extension brace seems to be a safe method for correcting spine flexion deformity in ankylosing spondylitis after traumatic fracture.

Montelukast as add-on therapy with inhaled corticosteroids alone or inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-2-agonists in the management of patients diagnosed with asthma and concurrent allergic rhinitis (the RADAR trial).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of montelukast as add-on therapy for patients diagnosed with asthma and concurrent allergic rhinitis who remain uncontrolled while receiving inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) monotherapy or ICS/long-acting beta-2-agonist (LABA) therapy in a community practice setting. DESIGN: An eight-week, multicentre, open-label, observational study. Patients were 15 years of age or older and, while treated with an ICS or ICS/LABA, had allergic rhinitis and uncontrolled asthma symptoms by at least two criteria as per the Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of patients with controlled asthma symptoms after eight weeks of treatment with montelukast 10 mg once daily added to ICS or ICS/LABA therapy. RESULTS: In total, 1004 patients participated in the survey phase of the study. Of these patients, 319 continued in the treatment phase and 301 (94.4%) completed the eight-week assessment. At baseline, all patients had uncontrolled asthma symptoms based on the Canadian Asthma Consensus Guidelines; at the eight-week assessment, 229 patients (76.1%) achieved asthma control. According to the Asthma Control Questionnaire (as determined by scores of 0.75 or less), 164 patients (54.7%) achieved well-controlled asthma at week 8. The mean (+/- SD) Asthma Control Questionnaire score decreased from 2.03+/-0.80 to 0.92+/-0.80 (P<0.001) for all patients, representing a clinically significant improvement. A statistically and clinically significant reduction in the overall Mini Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire score was achieved with a decrease from 2.57+/-1.20 to 1.12+/-1.00 (-1.45+/-1.35; P<0.001). Patient and physician satisfaction rates with montelukast add-on therapy were also significantly increased when compared with baseline treatment. CONCLUSION: Montelukast add-on therapy is effective for managing asthma and allergic rhinitis symptoms in patients who were previously uncontrolled with ICS or ICS/LABA treatment.

Playing cards on asthma management: a new interactive method for knowledge transfer to primary care physicians.

OBJECTIVES: To describe an interactive playing card workshop in the communication of asthma guidelines recommendations, and to assess the initial evaluation of this educational tool by family physicians. DESIGN: Family physicians were invited to participate in the workshop by advertisements or personal contacts. Each physician completed a standardized questionnaire on his or her perception of the rules, content and properties of the card game. SETTING: A university-based continuing medical education initiative. PARTICIPANTS: Primary care physicians. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physicians' evaluation of the rules, content and usefulness of the program. RESULTS: The game allowed the communication of relevant asthma-related content, as well as experimentation with a different learning format. It also stimulated interaction in a climate of friendly competition. Participating physicians considered the method to be an innovative tool that facilitated reflection, interaction and learning. It generated relevant discussions on how to apply guideline recommendations to current asthma care. CONCLUSIONS: This new, interactive, educational intervention, integrating play and scientific components, was well received by participants. This method may be of value to help integrate current guidelines into current practice, thus facilitating knowledge transfer to caregivers.