Consent, capacity and compliance in concussion management: cave ergo medicus (let the doctor beware)

2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-102108
Author(s):  
Michael Turner ◽  
David Maddocks ◽  
Majid Hassan ◽  
Adrian Anderson ◽  
Paul McCrory

While the acute effects of concussion and mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) are well understood, the certainty in the medical literature regarding the long-term outcomes of sports-related concussion is limited. Long-term deficits that may result from single, repeated concussions, and possibly subconcussive impacts, include cognitive dysfunction, depression and executive dysfunction. Perhaps most troublingly, repetitive head impacts have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), although the precise risk of long-term consequences remains unknown. CTE represents a distinct tauopathy with an unknown incidence in athletic populations; however, a cause and effect relationship has not yet been demonstrated between CTE and concussions or between CTE and exposure to contact sports, as no prospective longitudinal studies have been performed to address that question. Studies of high-school sports exposure and long-term outcomes have not demonstrated consistent findings.Medical advice regarding return to play and the risk of acute and/or long-term consequences is therefore problematic. It is important that the individual’s right to make their own choices regarding their health is respected. Team, coach, parental, peer or financial pressures should not influence this decision. The choice to return to play after a concussion or mild TBI injury is the athlete’s decision once they have (1) recovered from their injury and have the legal capacity to make an informed decision; (2) been medically assessed and (3) been informed of any possible long-term risks in a language that they can understand.Given the current lack of certainty in relation to long-term outcomes from concussion, is it possible to provide a framework to inform players of current evidence, as part of a consent process, even if the information upon which the decision to return to sport is based remains uncertain and evolving?

2021 ◽  
pp. 107110072199542
Author(s):  
Daniel Corr ◽  
Jared Raikin ◽  
Joseph O’Neil ◽  
Steven Raikin

Background: Microfracture is the most common reparative surgery for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs). While shown to be effective in short- to midterm outcomes, the fibrocartilage that microfracture produces is both biomechanically and biologically inferior to that of native hyaline cartilage and is susceptible to possible deterioration over time following repair. With orthobiologics being proposed to augment repair, there exists a clear gap in the study of long-term clinical outcomes of microfracture to determine if this added expense is necessary. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing microfracture of an OLT with a single fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon from 2007 to 2009 was performed. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria were contacted to complete the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Sports subscales and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, as well as surveyed regarding their satisfaction with the outcome of the procedure and their likelihood to recommend the procedure to a friend with the same problem using 5-point Likert scales. Patient demographics were reviewed and included for statistical analysis. Results: Of 45 respondents, 3 patients required additional surgery on their ankle for the osteochondral defect, yielding a 10-year survival rate of 93.3%. Of surviving cases, 90.4% (38/42) reported being “extremely satisfied” or “satisfied” with the outcome of the procedure. The VAS score at follow-up averaged 14 out of 100 (range, 0-75), while the FAAM-ADL and FAAM-Sports scores averaged 90.29 out of 100 and 82 out of 100, respectively. Thirty-six patients (85.7%) stated that their ankle did not prevent them from participating in the sports of their choice. Conclusion: The current study represents a minimum 10-year follow-up of patients undergoing isolated arthroscopic microfracture for talar osteochondral defects, with a 93.3% survival rate and 85.7% return to sport. While biological adjuvants may play a role in improving the long-term outcomes of microfracture procedures, larger and longer-term follow-up studies are required for procedures using orthobiologics before their cost can be justified for routine use. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective cohort case series study.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 220-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridgette D. Semple ◽  
Raha Sadjadi ◽  
Jaclyn Carlson ◽  
Yiran Chen ◽  
Duan Xu ◽  
...  

Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (rmTBIs) culminate in neurological impairments and chronic neurodegeneration, which have wide-ranging implications for patient management and return-to-play decisions for athletes. Adolescents show a high prevalence of sports-related head injuries and may be particularly vulnerable to rmTBIs due to ongoing brain maturation. However, it remains unclear whether rmTBIs, below the threshold for acute neuronal injury or symptomology, influence long-term outcomes. To address this issue, we first defined a very mild injury in adolescent mice (postnatal day 35) as evidenced by an increase in Iba-1- labeled microglia in white matter in the acutely injured brain, in the absence of indices of cell death, axonal injury, and vasogenic edema. Using this level of injury severity and Avertin (2,2,2-tribromoethanol) as the anesthetic, we compared mice subjected to either a single mTBI or 2 rmTBIs, each separated by 48 h. Neurobehavioral assessments were conducted at 1 week and at 1 and 3 months postimpact. Mice subjected to rmTBIs showed transient anxiety and persistent and pronounced hypoactivity compared to sham control mice, alongside normal sensorimotor, cognitive, social, and emotional function. As isoflurane is more commonly used than Avertin in animal models of TBI, we next examined long-term outcomes after rmTBIs in mice that were anesthetized with this agent. However, there was no evidence of abnormal behaviors even with the addition of a third rmTBI. To determine whether isoflurane may be neuroprotective, we compared the acute pathology after a single mTBI in mice anesthetized with either Avertin or isoflurane. Pathological findings were more pronounced in the group exposed to Avertin compared to the isoflurane group. These collective findings reveal distinct behavioral phenotypes (transient anxiety and prolonged hypoactivity) that emerge in response to rmTBIs. Our findings further suggest that selected anesthetics may confer early neuroprotection after rmTBIs, and as such mask long-term abnormal phenotypes that may otherwise emerge as a consequence of acute pathogenesis.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 567-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke C. Henry ◽  
Sebastien Tremblay ◽  
Louis De Beaumont

Little is known of the long-term effects of sports-related concussion. Within the scientific literature, conclusions vary substantially where some work suggests there are no long-term consequences at all and other studies show rampant neurodegeneration thought to be caused by sometimes even a single concussive blow to the head. There is growing evidence that supports multiple long-term outcomes, showing both subclinical and clinically relevant changes in the brains of athletes, young and old alike. This article reviews the pathohistology of cerebral concussions and examines the extant literature with a focus on electrophysiological and neuroimaging findings. Neurobehavioral and neurocognitive changes are also reviewed, particularly as they are related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Lacunae within the literature are explored, and future research directions are proposed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Gameiro ◽  
Filipe Marques ◽  
José António Lopes

Abstract The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has increased in the past decades. AKI complicates up to 15% of hospitalizations and can reach up to 50–60% in critically ill patients. Besides the short-term impact of AKI in patient outcomes, several studies report the association between AKI and adverse long-term outcomes, such as recurrent AKI episodes in 25–30% of cases, hospital re-admissions in up to 40% of patients, an increased risk of cardiovascular events, an increased risk of progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) after AKI and a significantly increased long-term mortality. Despite the long-term impact of AKI, there are neither established guidelines on the follow-up care of AKI patients, nor treatment strategies to reduce the incidence of sequelae after AKI. Only a minority of patients have been referred to nephrology post-discharge care, despite the evidence of improved outcomes associated with nephrology referral by addressing cardiovascular risk and risk of progression to CKD. Indeed, AKI survivors should have specialized nephrology follow-up to assess kidney function after AKI, perform medication reconciliation, educate patients on nephrotoxic avoidance and implement strategies to prevent CKD progression. The authors provide a comprehensive review of the transition from AKI to CKD, analyse the current evidence on the long-term outcomes of AKI and describe predisposing risk factors, highlight the importance of follow-up care in these patients and describe the current therapeutic strategies which are being investigated on their impact in improving patient outcomes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 440-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Cannavale ◽  
Mariangela Santoni ◽  
Marianna Gazzetti ◽  
Carlo Catalano ◽  
Fabrizio Fanelli

The application of advanced endovascular techniques in very complex femoropopliteal atherosclerotic lesions has shown to expose patients to a higher risk of distal embolization (DE). This complication can affect both the short- and long-term outcomes, leading to worsening ischemia, early minor/major amputation, and longer hospital stay. Recently, there has been an increasing body of evidence on pathophysiology and clinical–radiological management of DE that however has not been systematically addressed by guidelines. The aim of this review was to analyze the current evidence outlining definition and classification, risk assessment, prevention, and management strategies of DE in femoropopliteal endovascular interventions.


Author(s):  
Belinda Lennox

Autoimmune encephalitis is a neuropsychiatric disorder. While it is generally managed by neurologists, many of the presenting symptoms and most of the challenges in management are psychiatric. The description of psychiatric symptoms as part of the presenting symptoms of encephalitis dates back to the first descriptions of the disorder. The more recent discovery of autoimmune causes of encephalitis has particular relevance for psychiatry: there is significant overlap between the initial presentation of encephalitis with other core psychiatric disorders such as depression and psychosis. The particular challenge for inpatient psychiatry is to screen and detect these disorders early. The current evidence indicates that the rapid detection and delivery of immunotherapy, rather than the use of psychiatric treatments, is associated with better long-term outcomes for patients. Conversely, the risks of not detecting encephalitis are of long-term disability, or even death in a proportion of patients. This chapter describes the evolution in understanding of autoimmune encephalitis, the characteristics associated with particular antibodies, and the investigations and management of patients with autoimmune encephalitis from a psychiatric perspective.


Perfusion ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 026765912198895
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Jun Heng Chong ◽  
Amer Harky

Background and Aim: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols are a series of perioperative interventions well-established in improving the care and outcomes of patients. With recent emergence of studies on its implementation in cardiac surgery, this paper represents the first systematic review on current evidence of ERAS efficacy in this field. Methods: Two reviewers independently searched through Pubmed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Embase and Scopus. Comparative studies with controls that described the implementation of ERAS in all types of cardiac operations from 2001 to 2020 were included. Data extracted included patient demographics, components of ERAS protocol described, types of cardiac surgery, and postoperative outcomes. Results: In the final analysis, nine studies were included, of which there were one randomized controlled trial (RCT), one quasi-experiment and seven retrospective/prospective studies. Significant improvement in hospital and ICU length of stay, as well as reduction in postoperative opioid consumption were demonstrated. No increase in postoperative complications were reported. Conclusion: ERAS in cardiac surgery has shown to be potentially safe and effective in improving certain postoperative outcomes. However, the evidence is limited by the lack of high-quality RCTs. We also found the lack of practice of class 1 recommended interventions set forth by the ERAS Cardiac Society. Furthermore, majority of studies only evaluated the immediate postoperative outcomes of patients, and not the long-term outcomes. RCTs that fully implement measures recommended by the ERAS Cardiac Society, with assessments on both immediate and long-term outcomes, are warranted.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Eldred-Evans ◽  
Arun Sahai

Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) has become an important therapeutic tool in the management of refractory overactive bladder (OAB). Over the last decade, there have been growing numbers of patients receiving repeat injections and these outcomes have begun to be reported in large, high-quality cohorts. This article reviews the current evidence for the medium- to long-term use of BoNT-A in adults with idiopathic detrusor overactivity (IDO) receiving repeat injections. We find that medium-term outcomes are encouraging but long-term outcomes are not as extensively reported. There is high-quality evidence that efficacy following the first injection persists across multiple treatment cycles. There are no additional safety concerns from repeat injections up to six treatment cycles. However, there is a need for further data to confirm the efficacy and safety of BoNT-A beyond the follow-up period in the current literature.


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