This study aimed to determine whether quantification of subpulmonary stenosis (SPS) in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) in the second-trimester fetus can predict postnatal clinical outcome measured by pulmonary valve size and/or timing or type of intervention. The study retrospectively identified fetuses with TOF from 1998 to 2010 diagnosed at 26 weeks ...

OBJECTIVES:: A catheter thrombosis and the presence of a catheter-associated bloodstream infection (CBSI) often occur simultaneously, but it is unclear if or to what degree the two complications relate. Several animal and adult studies indicate a relationship between fibrin sheaths and thrombi in the development of CBSIs. To date, there ...

BACKGROUND: Optimal analgesia following laparoscopic colorectal resection is yet to be determined; however, recent studies have questioned the role of postoperative epidural anaesthesia, suggesting other analgesic modalities may be preferable. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to assess the effect of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks on opioid ...

BACKGROUND: and objective. Previous studies suggest that error augmentation may be used as a strategy to achieve longer-term changes in gait deficits after stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine whether longer-term improvements in step length asymmetry could be achieved with repeated split-belt treadmill walking practice using an ...

BACKGROUND: Early identification of individuals who are at risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) and ischemic stroke may enable a closer surveillance and thus prompt initiation of oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to investigate whether congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥ 75 years, diabetes, previous stroke (CHADS(2)) and CHA(2)DS(2)-vascular ...

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of chronic heart failure management programmes (CHF-MPs) according to a scoring algorithm used to quantify the level of applied interventions-the Heart Failure Intervention Score (HF-IS). BACKGROUND: The overall efficacy of heart failure programmes has been proven in several meta-analyses. However, the debate continues ...

To investigate subconjunctival bevacizumab as an adjuvant in first-time glaucoma filtration surgery, we conducted a non-comparative, interventional case series, enrolling consecutive patients with uncontrolled primary glaucomas. All patients underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C and received a 1.25 mg subconjunctival bevacizumab injection at completion of the surgery. Main outcome measurements were success ...

BACKGROUND: Initiatives to increase arteriovenous fistula (AVF) use are based on studies that show that AVFs require fewer interventions and have better patency than arteriovenous grafts (AVGs). Because patients who receive AVFs typically have more favorable vascular anatomy and are referred earlier for access placement than those who receive AVGs, ...

PURPOSE: To report the initial results of intrastromal arcuate keratotomy performed with a femtosecond laser to treat corneal astigmatism. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. DESIGN: Interventional case series. METHODS: Patients with corneal astigmatism (naturally occurring or after cataract surgery) were treated with an iFS femtosecond laser ...

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of nonunion after isolated arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis. METHODS: Electronic databases and relevant peer-reviewed sources, including OvidSP/Medline (http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com) and Google, were systematically searched for the terms "arthroscopic ankle arthrodesis" AND "nonunion". Additionally, we manually searched common American, British, and European orthopaedic and podiatric scientific literature for ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate and report the results of a 3-year study investigating argon laser photoablation of superficial conjunctival nevus. DESIGN: Retrospective, interventional case series. METHODS: The medical charts of patients referred to our clinic for the removal of a conjunctival nevus were reviewed. Argon laser photoablation of superficial conjunctival nevi ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess long-term effects of biofeedback training on pubertal chronic prostatitis (CP). METHODS: Pubertal CP patients received 12-week intensive biofeedback training and were divided into two groups: group 1 received further monthly training ≥24 (26-36) months; group 2 received further monthly training <24 (13-23) months. National Institutes of Health-CP ...

PURPOSE: To present the 4-year follow-up results in the surgical treatment of hypotony following trabeculectomy with mitomycin C in glaucoma patients with additional flap sutures. DESIGN: Retrospective interventional case series. METHODS: Since 2006, 53 patients with hypotony maculopathy attributable to overfiltration following glaucoma surgery (trabeculectomy with mitomycin C) were included ...

For several years, clopidogrel plus aspirin has been the dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) of choice for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation. More recently, prasugrel and ticagrelor have demonstrated greater efficacy than clopidogrel. In TRITON-TIMI 38, the risk of TIMI major bleeding ...

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is widely used for management of colorectal diseases. A history of abdominal or pelvic surgery is a well-recognized factor associated with difficult colonoscopy. Although water exchange colonoscopy (WEC) was effective in small groups of male U.S. veterans with such a history, its application in other cultural settings is ...

BACKGROUND: Successful anastomosis is essential in esophagogastrectomy, and the application of the circular stapler effectively reduces the anastomotic leakage, although stricture formation has become more frequent. The present study, a randomized controlled trial, compared the recently developed semi-mechanical anastomosis with a hand-sewn or circular stapled esophagogastrostomy in prevention of anastomotic ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Colonoscopes are designed with balance between flexibility, required to negotiate angulations, and stiffness, required to counteract the propensity for looping in unfixed sections of the colon, which retards advancement of the instrument. Colonoscopy can be challenging with old instruments that have lost native stiffness and become less responsive ...

Objective: To review the safety of thyroidectomy combined with cervical neck dissection without drainage, in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. Materials and methods: Two groups were defined depending on whether cervical neck dissection was or was not performed (groups one and two, respectively). Results: Group one included 153 patients with ...

Several groups have shown that that the BCR-ABL1 transcript level measured at 3 or 6 months after starting treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors strongly predicts for clinical outcomes for CML patients. In this work we asked whether the prognostic value of the 3-month transcript level could be improved by combining ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of intravitreal bevacizumab injection for symptomatic retinal arterial macroaneurysm. DESIGN: Retrospective interventional case series. METHODS: The study included 23 patients (23 eyes) with symptomatic retinal arterial macroaneurysm. They were categorized according to treatment method into 2 groups: an intravitreal bevacizumab-treated group (11 eyes) and ...

OBJECTIVES: A previously published randomized clinical trial comparing cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) versus routine catheterization in patients with functional single ventricle before bidirectional Glenn (BDG) operation demonstrated similar short-term post-BDG outcomes. We sought to assess late outcomes in this cohort to ascertain any long-term effects of this evaluation strategy. METHODS: ...

Management of lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains challenging, as inappropriate choice of treatment may cause multidrug resistance. Until now, randomized trials directly comparing adding adefovir and switching to entecavir monotherapy have not been reported. This multicentre prospective randomized study was designed to compare the efficacy of these two strategies. ...

AIM: The aim of this paper was to evaluate the immediate and long-term results of mechanical thrombectomy using the Rotarex catheter in the treatment of acute and subacute occlusions of peripheral arteries. Methods: Patients with acute or subacute occlusions of peripheral arteries were selected consecutively for treatment with the Rotarex ...

Central venous stenosis and obstruction (CVD) is a serious and prevalent challenge to both resolve the venous hypertension symptoms and maintain the pantency of the ipsilateral hemodialysis access in hemodialysis patients. This study aimed to summarize our experience of the endovascular management of the central venous stenosis or obstruction in ...

The Reflection uncemented acetabular component (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, Tenn) for total hip arthroplasty is available in 2 geometric variants. The first has a completely hemispherical design; the second has a peripheral rim expansion designed to increase initial press fit and aid osseointegration. The clinical and radiologic outcomes of 527 ...

OBJECTIVE: - To assess the ability of the Motor Function Measure (MFM) to detect changes in the progression of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). DESIGN: Observational retrospective multicenter cohort study. SETTING: Seventeen departments of pediatric physical medicine. PARTICIPANTS: - 112 volunteer SMA patients aged 5.7 to 59 years with no other ...

: Clinical trials support the efficacy and safety of magnesium sulfate for cerebral palsy prevention. We evaluated the implementation of a clinical protocol for the use of magnesium for cerebral palsy prevention in our large women's hospital, focusing on uptake, indications, and safety. : We performed a review of selected ...

To verify the effect of an educative nursing intervention composed of home visits and phone calls on patients' knowledge about the disease, self-care and adhesion to the treatment. Randomized clinical trial with patients with recent hospitalization caused by decompensated heart failure. There were two groups: the intervention group, which has ...

BACKGROUND: /st>There have been no evidence-based comparisons of motor-evoked potential (MEP) monitoring with no and partial neuromuscular block (NMB). We compared the effects of different levels of NMB including no NMB on MEP parameters. METHODS: /st>MEP-monitored 120 patients undergoing neurosurgery were enrolled. The patients were randomly allocated to four groups: ...

To evaluate a hybrid technique involving GreenLight 120W HPS vapor incision tissue removal in prostate glands > 80 cc. Vapor incision technique (VIT) was performed in 25 consecutive men with a prostate > 80 cc by a single surgeon from May 2010 until September 2010. VIT involved adenoma incisions at ...

Peripheral artery disease accounts for more than 400 000 hospitalizations in the USA and results in symptoms ranging from claudication to gangrene. Recent advances in endovascular techniques have led to a more aggressive approach for treating peripheral artery disease. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcomes ...

: Our purpose was to assess the prophylactic antiemetic effects of ondansetron versus granisetron for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. : We searched Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, Foreign Medical Journal Full-Text Service, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Whole Article Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, and the ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the significance of the Streptococcus anginosus group in intracranial complications of pediatric patients with rhinosinusitis. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Tertiary pediatric hospital. PATIENTS A 20-year review of medical records identified patients with intracranial complications resulting from rhinosinusitis. In the 50 cases identified, S anginosus was the ...

Medical practice in the media is usually far from reality. Thus, the viewer may be led astray. The world-famous fictional Dr House has to face a difficult diagnosis every week. His practice does not seem to reflect reality. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnosis strategy involved ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare histologic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of articular cartilage regeneration in patients with chondral lesions treated by arthroscopic subchondral drilling followed by postoperative intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) with and without peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). METHODS: Fifty patients ...

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this article is to evaluate the antiproteinuric effect of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in normotensive patients with proteinuria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed randomized controlled trials assessing ARBs treatment in patients with normotension and proteinuria. Data concerning the study design, patient characteristics, and outcomes were extracted. ...

OBJECTIVE: Malperfusion syndrome is a known predictor of poor outcomes in acute type B dissection. We describe our experience with revascularization in the acute setting. METHODS: Patients undergoing intervention for ischemia complicated acute type B dissection between November 1999 and March 2011 were reviewed. Details of presenting condition, surgical intervention, ...

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic yield of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) may be higher if it is performed closer to the time of overt obscure GI bleeding (OOGIB). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic yield of VCE and rate of therapeutic intervention for OOGIB for inpatients and outpatients with respect to timing of the ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Comparisons of fistulas and grafts often overlook the high primary failure rate of fistulas. This study compared cumulative patency (time from access creation to permanent failure) of fistulas and grafts. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: Vascular accesses of 1140 hemodialysis patients from two centers (Toronto and London, ...

OBJECTIVE: Infrapopliteal angioplasty (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty [PTA]) is routinely used to treat critical limb ischemia (CLI) despite limited data on long-term outcomes. METHODS: We reviewed all patients undergoing infrapopliteal PTA for CLI from 2004 to 2012 stratified by TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) class. Outcomes included restenosis, primary patency, reintervention (w/PTA ...

BACKGROUND: Peripancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) occur in up to 30 % of patients following partial pancreatic resections. Traditionally, postoperative PFCs are managed via percutaneous drainage (PD). EUS-guided transgastric drainage has been shown to be effective for the management of PFCs secondary to acute pancreatitis. However, there are limited data on the ...

Third-generation biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents might reduce the risk of stent thrombosis compared with first-generation permanent polymer drug-eluting stents. We aimed to further investigate the effects of a biodegradable polymer biolimus-eluting stent compared with a durable polymer-coated sirolimus-eluting stent in a population-based setting. This randomised, multicentre, all-comer, non-inferiority trial was ...

Drug-eluting stents with durable biocompatible or biodegradable polymers have been developed to address the risk of thrombosis associated with first-generation drug-eluting stents. We aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of a biodegradable polymer-coated biolimus-eluting stent with a thin-strut everolimus-eluting stent coated with a durable biocompatible polymer. This open-label, prospective, ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the survival and growth potential of human preantral follicles isolated before and after cryopreservation. DESIGN: Pilot study. SETTING: Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. PATIENT(S): Six women aged 27 to 32 years. INTERVENTION(S): Six ovarian biopsy samples were cut into two equal parts, half subjected to ...

BACKGROUND: With the expansion in the use of transcatheter valve therapies for aortic stenosis, the incidence of hemodynamically significant paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) has become a clinical challenge. METHODS: The study population consisted of those patients with either acute significant PVR immediately post-Edwards SAPIEN (ES) aortic valve implantation, requiring additional maneuvers ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Induction of labour (IOL) is one of the commonest obstetric interventions, with significant impact on both the individual woman and health service delivery. Outpatient IOL is an attractive option to reduce these impacts. To date there is little data comparing outpatient and inpatient IOL methods, and potential safety ...

BACKGROUND.: Previous studies failed to assess the individual prognostic role of thrombus aspiration (TA) or abciximab in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), due their prevalent combined use. METHODS AND RESULTS.: A total of 644 consecutive STEMI patients treated with pPCI were included in this retrospective registry from January 2006 to ...

OBJECTIVE: To pilot test a two-session computer-delivered motivational intervention to facilitate adherence among youth with HIV newly prescribed antiretroviral treatment (ART). METHODS: Youth (N = 76) newly prescribed ART were recruited from 8 sites, and were randomized to the intervention or an active nutrition and physical activity control. Primary outcomes ...

Objective To determine the efficacy of polyethylene plastic draping in preventing hypothermia during umbilical catheterization.Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted in newborns who required umbilical catheterization. A sterile polyethylene plastic sheet covering the procedural field was used in the plastic group, and a sterile conventional cotton drape was used in the ...

BACKGROUND: Despite progress in surgery and anaesthesia techniques, anxiety remains an important problem that imposes tremendous barriers to postoperative recovery for surgery patients. AIMS: In this study, we investigated the effects of preoperative nursing visits on anxiety and postoperative complications in candidates for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients ...