Medicine
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Observational Study
Prevalence and management of hypercholesterolemia in France, the Esteban observational study.
Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, its management in everyday clinical practice is often suboptimal. The aims of the Esteban study were to estimate the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and to describe its management in France in 2015. ⋯ This proportion reached 37.4% in the high-risk group, with no significant difference of adherence in people with or without a personal history of cardiovascular disease in this group. This study showed that hypercholesterolemia is a common metabolic disease in France, affecting 23.3% of the population. Lipid-lowering prescriptions diverged greatly from current recommendations, with less than a third of eligible patients being treated.
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Intraabdominal infection (IAI) is a common and important disease worldwide. An increasing number of related guidelines/consensuses have been published in recent years, the quality evaluation for these guidelines/consensuses is necessary to identify lower-quality documents and explore the quality distribution in different time range and areas in this field. ⋯ Overall, the quality of the IAI guidelines/consensuses was generally acceptable and applicable, with a few deficiencies. Therefore, continuous improvement is essential. The guideline assessment tools should be applied in guideline/consensus development both widely and strictly to improve the methodological quality.
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It is difficult to repair large skull and dural defects. We observed the therapeutic effects of anterolateral thigh flaps with vascular fascia lata for repairing large skull and dural defects. From December 2008 to June 2019, we repaired large skull and dural defects for 28 cases including 12 cases with scalp malignant tumor and 16 cases requiring removal of titanium mesh which had been once placed due to craniocerebral trauma. ⋯ The 12 cases with scalp malignant tumor had no local recurrence or distant metastasis. Repairing the skull and dural defects caused by radical surgery for scalp malignant tumor or removal of titanium mesh using anterolateral thigh flaps with vascular fascia lata, is effective. The appearance in the head-repaired area is fine without external hernia of brain tissue.
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Venous leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a malignant tumor arising from the smooth muscle cell of the vein wall. The diagnosis of venous LMS is usually delayed owing to its rarity, absence of serological markers, and mimicry with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Herein, we report a case of a primary external ilian vein LMS characterized by long-term, unexplained DVT in the left lower limb. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) played a crucial role in the preoperative diagnosis. No improvement was observed in the lower limb status; a rapid, high-level, heterogeneous wash-in and wash-out mass of the vein, as seen with CEUS, could indicate angiogenic malignancy. CEUS also helped evaluate the percent of intratumoral necrosis, which is an important parameter for predicting the prognosis. ⋯ Effective imaging techniques and differential diagnosis of venous LMS is vital and should be considered for patients with chronic thrombosis presenting with normal laboratory results.
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Observational Study
Sports injury type and psychological factors affect treatment period and willingness-to-pay: Cross-sectional study.
This study aimed to describe the sport injuries of elite collegiate athletes, and to examine the influence of career length, past injuries, and psychological factors on the treatment period and willingness to pay (WTP) for treatment. A survey was conducted among students of the Department of Physical Education, Korea National Sport University. Results were interpreted through frequency analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. ⋯ The treatment period was influenced by sports discipline, career length, location, and type of injury, and fear of further injuries. Treatment period was associated with the reason for fear of injuries, and WTP was influenced by fear of further injuries. Our study suggests that specific management plans for athletes based on disciplines, past injuries, and their emotional responses to previous injuries are required for rehabilitation and return to sports following treatment.