Current medical research and opinion
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Objective: To compare the risk of hospitalization and costs associated with major bleeding (MB) or stroke/systemic embolism (SE) among elderly patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who initiated apixaban then switched to another oral anticoagulant (OAC) vs. those who continued with apixaban treatment. Methods: NVAF patients (≥65 years) initiating apixaban were identified from the Humana database (1 January 2013-30 September 2017) and grouped into switcher and continuer cohorts. For switchers, the earliest switch from apixaban to another OAC was defined as the index event/date. ⋯ Apixaban switchers vs. continuers had significantly greater risk of MB-related hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.52-2.64; p < .001) during follow-up; risk of stroke/SE hospitalization did not differ significantly (HR: 1.36, 95% CI: 0.89-2.06, p = .154). MB- and stroke/SE-related medical costs were higher for switchers vs. continuers, although total all-cause healthcare costs were similar. Conclusion: Elderly patients with NVAF in the US who continued with apixaban treatment had a lower risk of MB-related hospitalization and lower MB- and stroke/SE-related medical costs compared to patients who switched to another OAC.
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Objective: The objective was to characterize psoriasis treatment patterns, including estimating persistence and describing subsequent events (i.e. switching and restarting) for all systemic therapies. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized Truven MarketScan databases from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2016 to investigate persistence, switching and restarting in new users of systemic psoriasis medications. Descriptive statistics, time-to-event analyses and a Cox proportional hazards regression were conducted. ⋯ This may indicate poor compliance or the cyclical nature of psoriasis. More patients switched from an oral to biologic than vice versa, likely due to formulary design and preference for orals. Studies are needed to investigate underlying reasons and patient characteristics that differentiate treatment utilization.
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Objectives: Subcutaneous injection of botulinum toxin-A (sBONT-A) is a novel treatment for peripheral neuropathic pain. While its analgesic effects are well documented, this treatment is often not comfortable and fails in patients who show signs of sensory loss but rarely allodynia. There are some case reports about perineural BONT-A injection (pBONT-A) which could be an alternative approach. ⋯ Based on these results, we suggest that future parallel design trials on pBONT-A need to include at least 84 patients. Discussion: Ultrasound-guided pBONT-A injection seems to be a safe treatment leading to a sufficient pain relief for some months without sensory changes. Surprisingly, pBONT-A showed a pronounced analgesic effect also in patients without signs of hyperalgesia.
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Objectives: Pathological stage III melanoma patients have variable clinical presentation and outcome when divided by substages, and the number of metastatic lymph nodes is the most significant independent factor. We aimed to determine the clinical features and natural course of node positive melanoma, such as first relapse and final outcome, and other factors influencing them. Methods: A total of 362 node positive melanoma patients were included in the study and reviewed retrospectively. ⋯ Five- and 10 year overall survival (OS) rates were 49% and 40%, respectively. Older age, nodular histopathology, higher mitotic rates and relapse of disease (p = .001) were the independent variables that were inversely correlated with OS for all patients. Conclusion: Comparative analyses of node positive melanoma suggested that there was not only a remarkable heterogeneity in the recurrence and survival rates but also a distinctive pattern among independent prognostic indicators in accordance with the severity of nodal involvement.
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Objective: To estimate the cost-effectiveness of using an extensively hydrolyzed casein formula (eHCF) plus the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (eHCF plus LGG; Nutramigen* LGG®) compared to an eHCF alone as first-line dietary management for Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) in the UK. Methods: Decision modelling was undertaken to estimate the probability of IgE-mediated cow's milk allergic infants being symptom free (i.e. not experiencing urticaria, eczema, asthma or rhinoconjunctivitis) and developing tolerance to cow's milk by 5 years. The model also estimated the cost (at 2016/2017 prices) of healthcare resource use funded by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) over 5 years after starting a formula, as well as the relative cost-effectiveness of the two dietary formulae. ⋯ Additionally, the probability of acquiring tolerance to cow's milk was estimated to be 0.94 and 0.66 among infants who were originally fed eHCF plus LGG and an eHCF alone, respectively. The estimated total healthcare cost over 5 years of initially feeding infants with eHCF plus LGG was less than that of feeding infants with an eHCF alone (£4229 versus £5136 per patient). Conclusions: First-line management of newly diagnosed infants with IgE-mediated CMPA with eHCF plus LGG instead of an eHCF alone improves outcome, releases healthcare resources for alternative use, reduces the NHS cost of patient management and thereby affords a cost-effective dietetic strategy to the NHS.