Diatrizoate (Gastrograffin®) Small Bowel Follow Through for Small Bowel Obstructions: Timing and Outcomes

2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110508
Author(s):  
Andrew Licata ◽  
Ismail El Moudden ◽  
Nicholas Bandy ◽  
Molly Sternick ◽  
Rebecca Britt

Introduction The advent of the Gastrograffin® small bowel follow through (G-SBFT) has resulted in a decreased rate of operative intervention of small bowel obstructions (SBO); however, there is no data to suggest when G-SBFT should be performed. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 548 patients, admitted to 1 of 9 hospitals with a diagnosis of SBO. Patients were divided into two categories with regards to timing of G-SBFT: before (early) or after (late) 48 hours from admission. Primary outcomes were length of stay (LOS) and total cost. Secondary outcomes were operative interventions and mortality. Results Of the reviewed patients, 71% had the G-SBFT ordered early. Comparing early versus late, there were no differences in patient characteristics with regards to age, sex, or BMI. There was a significant difference between LOS (4 vs 8 days, P < 0.05) and total cost ($17,056.19 vs $33,292.00, P < 0.05). There was no difference in mortality (1.3% vs 2.6%, P = 0.239) or 30-day readmission rates (15.6% vs 15.9%, P = 0.509). Patients in the early group underwent fewer operations (20.7% vs 31.9%, P = 0.05). Discussion Patients that had a G-SBFT ordered early had a decreased LOS, total cost, and operative intervention. This suggests there is a benefit to ordering G-SBFT earlier in the hospital stay to reduce the overall disease burden, and that it is safe to do so with regards to mortality and readmissions. We therefore recommend ordering a G-SBFT within 48 hours to reduce LOS, cost, and need for an operation

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S56-S56
Author(s):  
Trevor Wood ◽  
Karen Zaghiyan ◽  
Phil Fleshner

Abstract Introduction Despite advances in medical management, including the use of biologic agents, up to 80% of Crohn’s patients (CD) ultimately require operative intervention. Additionally, these patients are at risk for additional operative intervention within their lifetime. Given the risk of short bowel syndrome secondary to multiple bowel resections, conservation of bowel length is of paramount importance. A common yet unproven belief in the gastroenterology community is that intensive preoperative medical therapy might reduce the length of bowel removed at surgery. In this study, we compared specimen length in CD patients treated or not treated with biologic agents before surgery. Objective To determine if there is an association between biologic use and reduced specimen length after bowel resection. Methods Prospectively generated clinical profiles on consecutive CD patients undergoing their first ileocolic or small bowel resection between November 1999 to July 2019 were reviewed. Patients were classified into 2 groups: Group A patients were treated with biologic agents at any time before surgery while Group B patients had never received a biologic agent. Specimen length was determined by review of pathology reports. In patients with multi-segment resections, the sum of the specimens was recorded. The means of the two groups were compared using Students t test. Results The study cohort of 392 patients had a mean age of 36.2 (SD 15.9) years and included 53% males. Group A included 247 (63%) patients and Group B included 145 (37%) patients. Groups were comparable in terms of background demographics with the exception of age, use of preoperative immunomodulator therapy, and medical intractability as an indication for surgery (p value 0.01, &lt;0.01, 0.02 respectively) The mean specimen length in Group A was 29.1cm compared to 29.9cm in the Group B (p=0.68). A subgroup analysis of ileocolic resections and small bowel resections was completed. Within the ileocolic group, there was no significant difference in length between groups with respect to the total specimen length (p=0.92), colonic portion (p=0.15), and small bowel portion (p=0.67). Analysis of small bowel resection specimens also found no difference in length between the groups (p=0.63). Conclusions The use of biologics in CD was not associated with reduced specimen length in ileocolic resections and in small bowel resections


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Spiliotis ◽  
Vasileios Kalles ◽  
Ioannis Kyriazanos ◽  
Alexios Terra ◽  
Anastasia Prodromidou ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundCombining cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) can benefit patients with peritoneal metastasis from colorectal cancer. The present study evaluates the small bowel subset of the Peritoneal Cancer Index (Small-Bowel-PCI score (SB-PCI), min-max 0–12) as a prognostic factor in such patients.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed patients that underwent CRS and HIPEC for recurrent colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastasis. Patient characteristics, procedure details, and clinical outcomes were evaluated.ResultsEighty patients were included. The mean intraoperative PCI-score was 16.8, with a mean SB-PCI score of 5.9. CC0/1 was achieved in 62/80 patients. The mean follow-up period was 26.3 months. Univariate regression analysis showed that the ECOG status, the presence of severe complications, the HIPEC regimen (oxaliplatin vs. mitomycin-C), the PCI score, the SB-PCI score and the completeness of cytoreduction correlated significantly with overall survival. In multivariate analysis, the SB-PCI and CC score were identified as independent prognostic factors of survival. When the SB-PCI was stratified in three groups (0–4, 5–8 and 9–12), Kaplan–Meier curve analysis showed significant difference in survival (p<0.001).ConclusionsThe SB-PCI correlates with overall survival in patients with peritoneal metastases secondary to colorectal cancer in this retrospective cohort. Its use should be validated in prospective patient series.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e15211-e15211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew O'Shaughnessy ◽  
Christopher Warlick ◽  
Matthew Ziegelmann ◽  
Badrinath Konety ◽  
Gautam Gopalji Jha

e15211 Background: Sipuleucel-T has been shown to provide survival benefit to men with minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). In the 18 months following FDA approval of sipuleucel-T, we sought to characterize patients referred for consideration of sipuleucel-T, determine the tolerability of therapy, and evaluate survival outcomes in clinical practice. Methods: We reviewed the records of patients referred to our institution for consideration of sipuleucel-T. Clinical characteristics, disease characteristics, and previous treatments were identified. Tolerability and adverse events were characterized. Results: Patients with minimally symptomatic mCRPC were offered sipuleucel-T (n=90), whereas patients with ECOG>1, progressive disease, or lack of metastases were not (n=11). Post chemotherapy patients started sipuleucel-T if their CD4 count was >400 at least 3 weeks following chemotherapy. Treatments were well tolerated, with 96% completing an entire series. Three patients did not complete treatment due to disease progression. The biggest challenge with sipuleucel-T therapy was disease control immediately before, during and post therapy. Androgen receptor blockade with nilutamide or high dose bicalutamide was used to control the disease during this time. Mean patient age was 69.8±9.7 years and all had ECOG status of 0-1. 40% of patients had minimal metastases, while 36% and 19% had moderate or extensive metastases. Median survival time (MST) for men >65 years who received sipuleucel-T was 17.6 months, whereas MST for men ≤65 years was not reached. There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) between these groups (p=0.27). When stratified by disease burden, we found that OS of patients with extensive disease was shorter than men with mild or moderate disease burden (p=0.002 and p=0.04), with MST of 6.0 months. MST was not reached for men with mild and moderate disease burden. Conclusions: Sipuleucel-T is well tolerated in clinical practice for well-selected patients with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic mCRPC. Patients with extensive metastatic disease, even when minimally symptomatic, did not appear to benefit from sipuleucel-T.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135581962110589
Author(s):  
Menghan Shen ◽  
Linyan Li ◽  
Yushan Wu ◽  
Yuanfan Yang

Objective To determine whether there are significant differences in costs of treatment and readmission rates for hospital consultations undertaken by female versus male physicians in China. Methods Using data from the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance program from January 2018 through October 2019, we investigated spending patterns and clinical outcomes for patients at tertiary hospitals in one of the largest cities in China by the gender of the attending physician. Our sample included 79,085 hospitalizations treated by 3993 physicians in internal medicine departments. We examined the association between physician gender and visit cost using a multivariable linear model. We examined the association between physician gender and 30-days readmission rates using a multivariable probability model. We adjusted for a rich set of patient characteristics, primary diagnosis fixed effects, and hospital fixed effects. In addition, we used patient fixed effects in a robustness analysis. Results Adjusting for primary diagnosis fixed effects, spending per visit was 4.1% higher for patients treated by male physicians than for those treated by female physicians, a statistically significant difference (95% CI [1.5%, 6.7%]). This pattern persisted after further adjusting for hospital fixed effects (3.2% [1.2%, 5.2%]), patient characteristics (3.2% [1.2%, 5.1%]), and patient fixed effects (4.2% [1.8%, 6.7%]). The difference is mainly driven by higher spending on drugs (8.7% [3.9%, 13.6%]) and out-of-pocket costs (3.9% [1.7%, 6.0%]). No statistically significant differences were observed in the readmission rates of patients treated by male and female physicians in any of our three model specifications. Conclusions Spending per visit was significantly higher among patients treated by male physicians than among those treated by female physicians, with the difference mainly driven by spending on drugs and out-of-pocket costs. No significant difference was observed in the hospital readmission rates of patients treated by male and female physicians. These findings have important implications for gender equality in medicine and health care quality and efficiency in developing countries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan B. Weir ◽  
Neil Sardesai ◽  
Julio J. Jauregui ◽  
Ehsan Jazini ◽  
Michael J. Sokolow ◽  
...  

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Objective: As hospital compensation becomes increasingly dependent on pay-for-performance and bundled payment compensation models, hospitals seek to reduce costs and increase quality. To our knowledge, no reported data compare these measures between hospital settings for elective lumbar procedures. The study compares hospital-reported outcomes and costs for elective lumbar procedures performed at a tertiary hospital (TH) versus community hospitals (CH) within a single health care system. Methods: Retrospective review of a physician-maintained, prospectively collected database consisting of 1 TH and 4 CH for 3 common lumbar surgeries from 2015 to 2016. Patients undergoing primary elective microdiscectomy for disc herniation, laminectomy for spinal stenosis, and laminectomy with fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis were included. Patients were excluded for traumatic, infectious, or malignant pathology. Comparing hospital settings, outcomes included length of stay (LOS), rates of 30-day readmissions, potentially preventable complications (PPC), and discharge to rehabilitation facility, and hospital costs. Results: A total of 892 patients (n = 217 microdiscectomies, n = 302 laminectomies, and n = 373 laminectomy fusions) were included. The TH served a younger patient population with fewer comorbid conditions and a higher proportion of African Americans. The TH performed more decompressions ( P < .001) per level fused; the CH performed more interbody fusions ( P = .007). Cost of performing microdiscectomy ( P < .001) and laminectomy ( P = .014) was significantly higher at the TH, but there was no significant difference for laminectomy with fusion. In a multivariable stepwise linear regression analysis, the TH was significantly more expensive for single-level microdiscectomy ( P < .001) and laminectomy with single-level fusion ( P < .001), but trended toward significance for laminectomy without fusion ( P = .052). No difference existed for PPC or readmissions rate. Patients undergoing laminectomy without fusion were discharged to a facility more often at the TH ( P = .019). Conclusions: We provide hospital-reported outcomes between a TH and CH. Significant differences in patient characteristics and surgical practices exist between surgical settings. Despite minimal differences in hospital-reported outcomes, the TH was significantly more expensive.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 764
Author(s):  
Shih-Lung Cheng ◽  
Kuo-Chin Chiu ◽  
Hsin-Kuo Ko ◽  
Diahn-Warng Perng ◽  
Hao-Chien Wang ◽  
...  

Purpose: To understand the association between biomarkers and exacerbations of severe asthma in adult patients in Taiwan. Materials and Methods: Demographic, clinical characteristics and biomarkers were retrospectively collected from the medical charts of severe asthma patients in six hospitals in Taiwan. Exacerbations were defined as those requiring asthma-specific emergency department visits/hospitalizations, or systemic steroids. Enrolled patients were divided into: (1) those with no exacerbations (non-exacerbators) and (2) those with one or more exacerbations (exacerbators). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off value for biomarkers. Generalized linear models evaluated the association between exacerbation and biomarkers. Results: 132 patients were enrolled in the study with 80 non-exacerbators and 52 exacerbators. There was no significant difference in demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups. Exacerbators had significantly higher eosinophils (EOS) counts (367.8 ± 357.18 vs. 210.05 ± 175.24, p = 0.0043) compared to non-exacerbators. The optimal cut-off values were 292 for EOS counts and 19 for the Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) measure. Patients with an EOS count ≥ 300 (RR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.26–2.81; p = 0.002) or FeNO measure ≥ 20 (RR = 2.10; 95% CI, 1.05–4.18; p = 0.0356) had a significantly higher risk of exacerbation. Moreover, patients with both an EOS count ≥ 300 and FeNO measure ≥ 20 had a significantly higher risk of exacerbation than those with lower EOS count or lower FeNO measure (RR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.47–3.18; p = < 0.0001). Conclusions: Higher EOS counts and FeNO measures were associated with increased risk of exacerbation. These biomarkers may help physicians identify patients at risk of exacerbations and personalize treatment for asthma patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 232596712110091
Author(s):  
Chenghui Wang ◽  
Yaying Sun ◽  
Zheci Ding ◽  
Jinrong Lin ◽  
Zhiwen Luo ◽  
...  

Background: It remains controversial whether abnormal femoral version (FV) affects the outcomes of hip arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) or labral tears. Purpose: To review the outcomes of hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI or labral tears in patients with normal versus abnormal FV. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched in July 2020 for studies reporting the outcomes after primary hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI or labral tears in patients with femoral retroversion (<5°), femoral anteversion (>20°), or normal FV (5°-20°). The primary outcome was the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), and secondary outcomes were the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, Hip Outcome Score–Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), failure rate, and patient satisfaction. The difference in preoperative and postoperative scores (Δ) was also calculated when applicable. Results: Included in this review were 5 studies with 822 patients who underwent hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI or labral tears; there were 166 patients with retroversion, 512 patients with normal version, and 144 patients with anteversion. Patients with retroversion and normal version had similar postoperative mHHS scores (mean difference [MD], 2.42 [95% confidence interval (CI), –3.42 to 8.26]; P = .42) and ΔmHHS scores (MD, –0.70 [96% CI, –8.56 to 7.15]; P = .86). Likewise, the patients with anteversion and normal version had similar postoperative mHHS scores (MD, –3.09 [95% CI, –7.66 to 1.48]; P = .18) and ΔmHHS scores (MD, –1.92 [95% CI, –6.18 to 2.34]; P = .38). Regarding secondary outcomes, patients with retroversion and anteversion had similar ΔNAHS scores, ΔHOS-SSS scores, ΔVAS scores, patient satisfaction, and failure rates to those with normal version, although a significant difference was found between the patients with retroversion and normal version regarding postoperative NAHS scores (MD, 5.96 [95% CI, 1.66-10.26]; P = .007) and postoperative HOS-SSS scores (MD, 7.32 [95% CI, 0.19-14.44]; P = .04). Conclusion: The results of this review indicated that abnormal FV did not significantly influence outcomes after hip arthroscopic surgery for FAI or labral tears.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 648-657
Author(s):  
Karen E. Steinhauser ◽  
Karen M. Stechuchak ◽  
Katherine Ramos ◽  
Joseph Winger ◽  
James A. Tulsky ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveCompare the efficacy of two interventions addressing emotional and existential well-being in early life-limiting illness.MethodPrimary trial analysis (n = 135) included patients with advanced cancer, congestive heart failure, or end-stage renal disease; Arm 1 received the Outlook intervention, addressing issues of life completion and preparation, and Arm 2 received relaxation meditation (RM). Primary outcomes at five weeks (primary endpoint) and seven weeks (secondary): completion and preparation (QUAL-E); secondary outcomes: anxiety (POMS) quality of life (FACT-G) and spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp) subscales of faith, meaning, and peace.ResultsAverage age was 62; 56% were post-high school-educated, 54% were married, 52% white, 44% female, and 70% had a cancer diagnosis. At baseline, participants demonstrated low levels of anxiety (<5 on POMS subscale) and depression (<10 on CESD) relative to population norms. Results of the primary analysis revealed no significant differences in mean Preparation by treatment arm at five weeks (14.4 Outlook vs. 14.8 RM; between-group difference −0.4 [95% CI, −1.6, 0.8], p = 0.49) or seven weeks (15.2 vs.15.4; between-group difference −0.2 [95% CI, −1.5, 1.0], p = 0.73). There were also no significant differences in mean Life Completion by treatment arm between five weeks (26.6 Outlook vs. 26.3 RM; between-group difference 0.2 [95% CI, −1.2, 1.7], p = 0.76) or seven weeks (26.5 vs. 27.5; between-group difference −1.0 [95% CI, −2.7, 0.7], p = 0.23). Compared to RM, Outlook participants did not have significant differences over time in the secondary outcomes of overall quality of life, anxiety, depression, FACT-G subscales, and FACIT-Sp subscales.DiscussionIn early-stage life-limiting illness, Outlook did not demonstrate a significant difference in primary or secondary outcomes relative to RM. Results underscore the importance of pre-screening for distress. Qualitatively, Outlook participants were able to express suppressed emotions, place illness context, reflect on adaptations, and strengthen identity. Screening for distress and identifying specified measures of distress, beyond anxiety and depression, is essential in our ability to adequately assess the multi-dimensional mechanisms that decrease existential suffering.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Kettis ◽  
Hanna Fagerlind ◽  
Jan-Erik Frödin ◽  
Bengt Glimelius ◽  
Lena Ring

Abstract Background Effective patient-physician communication can improve patient understanding, agreement on treatment and adherence. This may, in turn, impact on clinical outcomes and patient quality of life (QoL). One way to improve communication is by using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Heretofore, studies of the impact of using PROMs in clinical practice have mostly evaluated the use of standardized PROMs. However, there is reason to believe that individualized instruments may be more appropriate for this purpose. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the standardized QoL-instrument, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life C-30 (EORTC-QOL-C30) and the individualized QoL instrument, the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW), in clinical practice. Methods In a prospective, open-label, controlled intervention study at two hospital out-patient clinics, 390 patients with gastrointestinal cancer were randomly assigned either to complete the EORTC-QOL-C30 or the SEIQoL-DW immediately before the consultation, with their responses being shared with their physician. This was repeated in 3–5 consultations over a period of 4–6 months. The primary outcome measure was patients’ health-related QoL, as measured by FACIT-G. Patients’ satisfaction with the consultation and survival were secondary outcomes. Results There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to study outcomes. Neither intervention instrument resulted in any significant changes in health-related QoL, or in any of the secondary outcomes, over time. This may reflect either a genuine lack of effect or sub-optimization of the intervention. Since there was no comparison to standard care an effect in terms of lack of deterioration over time cannot be excluded. Conclusions Future studies should focus on the implementation process, including the training of physicians to use the instruments and their motivation for doing so. The effects of situational use of standardized or individualized instruments should also be explored. The effectiveness of the different approaches may depend on contextual factors including physician and patient preferences.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 130
Author(s):  
Ertan Saridogan ◽  
Mona Salman ◽  
Lerzan Sinem Direk ◽  
Ali Alchami

Uterine septum can negatively affect reproductive outcomes in women. Based on evidence from retrospective observational studies, hysteroscopic incision has been considered a solution to improve reproductive performance, however there has been recent controversy on the need for surgery for uterine septum. High quality evidence from prospective studies is still lacking, and until it is available, experts are encouraged to publish their data. We are therefore presenting our data that involves analysis of the patient characteristics, surgical approach and long-term reproductive outcomes of women who received treatment for uterine septum under the care of a single surgeon. This includes all women (99) who underwent hysteroscopic surgery for uterine septum between January 2001 and December 2019. Of those 99 women treated for intrauterine septum who were trying to conceive, 91.4% (64/70) achieved pregnancy, 78.6% (55/70) had live births and 8.6% (6/70) had miscarriages. No statistically significant difference was found in the live birth rates when data was analyzed in subgroups based on age, reason for referral/aetiology and severity of pathology. Our study results support the view that surgical treatment of uterine septa is beneficial in improving reproductive outcomes.


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