Redefining response in wet AMD to anti VEGF therapy based on non-OCTA versus OCTA evaluation

Purpose Anti vascular endothelial growth factor (anti VEGF) has been the mainstay of treatment in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Subsequent decision to continue anti VEGF therapy depends on the treatment response quantified by functional (visual acuity) and morphological (optical coherence tomography) parameters then categorized from good to poor. Methods This study evaluates the agreement between OCT angiography (OCTA) and non-OCTA (logMAR VA plus OCT) to decide anti-VEGF treatment's continuity. After an anti VEGF treatment, on a follow up visit, a patient underwent non-OCTA evaluation (decision A) then OCTA evaluation (decision B) to judge the necessity of future anti VEGF application. Results Out of 129 eyes, on 72 eyes (49%), there were agreements on both decision arms, but on 55 eyes (42%) there was disagreement. Particularly, disagreement on 47/55 eyes was important, where OCTA advised “continue anti VEGF” and non-OCTA advised “Stop anti VEGF” therapy. Cohen's Kappa for probability of agreement to continue anti VEGF was fair (0.33) and to stop anti VEGF therapy was none (0.1). Conclusions Based on resulting disagreements between the two modalities on deciding the continuity of anti VEGF, we conclude that OCTA must be considered in the conventional decision making algorithm in patients with wet AMD under anti VEGF therapy.

Intraoperative injuries from abdominopelvic surgery: an analysis of national medicolegal data

Background: Intraoperative injuries during abdominopelvic surgery can be associated with substantial patient harm. The objective of this study was to describe abdominopelvic intraoperative injuries and their contributing factors among medicolegal cases. Methods: This study was a descriptive analysis of medicolegal matters reported to a national body, with subgroup analyses by type of surgery. We reviewed medicolegal matters involving a population-based sample of physicians who were subject to a civil legal action or complaint to a regulatory authority that was closed between 2013 and 2017 in Canada. Results: Our analysis included 181 civil legal cases and 88 complaints to a regulatory authority. Among legal cases, 155 patients (85.6%) (median age 47 yr) underwent elective procedures. The most common injury site was the bowel (53 cases [29.3%]). Injuries frequently occurred during dissection (79 [43.6%]) and ligation (38 [21.0%]), were identified postoperatively (138 [76.2%]) and necessitated further surgery (139 [76.8%]). Many patients experienced severe harm (55 [30.4%]) or died (25 [13.8%]). Peer experts in nongynecologic cases were more likely than those in gynecologic cases to include criticisms of a provider in a harmful incident (79 [71.2%] v. 30 [42.9%], p < 0.01). Peer expert criticisms often related to clinical evaluation, decision-making and misidentification of anatomy. Criticisms of nontechnical skills identified documentation and communication deficiencies. Conclusion: This study confirms the importance of provider and team training to improve clinical evaluation and decision-making, documentation and communication. Effective protocols may help support clinicians in providing safer surgical care.

A Fuzzy Evaluation Decision Model for the Ratio Operating Performance Index

In order to take into account cost and timeliness and enhance accuracy testing, this study developed the fuzzy number and membership function, using the confidence interval of ratio operating performance index. Subsequently, according to the statistical test rules and the application of the fuzzy number and membership function, a fuzzy evaluation decision model for the operating performance index is proposed, to evaluate if the business performance reaches the needed level. Based on the abovementioned, the evaluation model in this study took into account not only timeliness but also accuracy, so that it could grasp the opportunity of improvement for operating organizations with poor operating performance after being evaluated. This fuzzy evaluation decision model for the operating performance index constructs a fuzzy membership function retrieved from an index’s confidence interval, reducing the chance of miscalculation due to sampling mistakes and improving the efficiency of evaluation. Finally, in order to facilitate the application of readers and the industry, this paper uses cases to explain the proposed fuzzy verification method. On the whole, the model proposed in this paper is a data-based auxiliary tool for the service operating performance improvement strategy.

Digitale Wissensorganisation

The thesis investigates the attribution of knowledge in the use of autonomous systems in enterprises. It analyzes the challenges posed by digitization and artificial intelligence to the practical topic in contractual and non-contractual relationships, when information is increasingly processed by algorithms instead of humans. Using an environmentally sensitive legal approach, it develops an innovation-open concept of knowledge attribution for the 21st century. In doing so, the work is practice-oriented and focuses on the areas of application of autonomous systems in enterprises: information acquisition and evaluation, decision making, and decision and decision implementation.

Enzymatic debridement for burn wound care: Interrater-reliability and impact of experience in post-intervention therapy decision

Introduction Enzymatic debridement (ED) has become a reliable tool for eschar removal. Although ED application is simple, wound bed evaluation and therapy decision post-intervention are prone to subjectivity and failure. Experience in ED might be the key, but this has not been proven yet. Aim of this study was to assess interrater reliability (IR) in post-intervention wound bed evaluation and therapy decision as well as the impact of experience. In addition, the authors introduce video assessment as a valuable tool for post-ED decision making and education. Material and methods A video-based survey was conducted among physicians with various experience in ED. The survey involved multiple choice and 5-point Likert scale questions about professional status, experience in ED, confidence in post-ED wound bed evaluation and therapy decision. Subsequently, videos of 15 mixed pattern to full thickness burns immediately after removal of the enzyme complex were demonstrated. Participants were asked for evaluation of each burn wound, including bleeding pattern and consequent therapy decision. IR ≥80% was considered as a consensus. Responses were stratified according to participants‘ experience in applying ED (&lt;10; 10-19; 20-49; ≥50 applications). IR was assessed by Chi^2-test (raw agreement (RA); ≥80% was considered as a consensus) and by Krippendorff’s Alpha-test. In addition, expert consensus for therapy decision was compared to the actual clinical course of each shown patient. Last, participants were asked for their opinion on video as an assessment tool for post-ED wound bed evaluation, decision making and training. Results 31 physicians from 11 burn centers participated in the survey. Overall consensus (RA≥80%) in post-ED wound bed evaluation and therapy decision was achieved in 20 and 40%, respectively. Krippendorff’s Alpha are given by 0.32 (95% CI: 0.15,0.49) and 0.31 (95% CI: 0.16,0.47), respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed that physicians with high experience in ED achieved significantly more consensus in post-intervention wound bed evaluation and therapy decision compared to physicians with moderate experience (60% vs. 13.3%; p=0.02 and 86.7 vs. 33.3%; p=0.04, respectively). Video analysis was considered a feasible (90.3%) and beneficial (93.5%) tool for post-intervention wound bed evaluation and therapy decision as well as useful for training purposes (100%). Conclusion Reliability of wound bed evaluation and therapy decision after ED depends on the experience of the rating physician. Video analysis is deemed to be a valuable tool for ED evaluation, decision making and user training.