Plos One
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparison of quality control methods for automated diffusion tensor imaging analysis pipelines.
The processing of brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data for large cohort studies requires fully automatic pipelines to perform quality control (QC) and artifact/outlier removal procedures on the raw DTI data prior to calculation of diffusion parameters. In this study, three automatic DTI processing pipelines, each complying with the general ENIGMA framework, were designed by uniquely combining multiple image processing software tools. Different QC procedures based on the RESTORE algorithm, the DTIPrep protocol, and a combination of both methods were compared using simulated ground truth and artifact containing DTI datasets modeling eddy current induced distortions, various levels of motion artifacts, and thermal noise. ⋯ However, the pipeline based on the RESTORE algorithm was the most accurate when analyzing the artifact containing DTI datasets. The pipeline that combined the DTIPrep protocol and the RESTORE algorithm produced the lowest standard deviation in FA measurements in normal appearing WM across subjects. We concluded that this pipeline was the most robust and is preferred for automated analysis of multisite brain DTI data.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial Observational Study
Oral anticoagulation in very elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: Results from the prospective multicenter START2-REGISTER study.
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have shown similar efficacy and safety with respect to warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the proportion of patients aged ≥85 years enrolled in clinical trials was low and the applicability of their results to very elderly patients is still uncertain. We have carried out a prospective cohort study on AF patients aged ≥85 years enrolled in the Survey on anticoagulaTed pAtients RegisTer (START2-Register) and treated with either VKAs or DOACs, with the aim to evaluate mortality, bleeding and thrombotic rates during a long-term follow-up. ⋯ Patients on DOACs showed a higher rate of thrombotic events during treatment (rate 1.84 and 0.50,respectively). Mortality rate was higher in patients on VKAs than in patients on DOACs (HR 0.64 (95% CI 0.46-0.91). In conclusion, we confirm the overall safety and effectiveness of anticoagulant treatment in very elderly AF patients, with lower mortality rates in DOACs patients, similar bleeding risk, and a higher risk for cerebral thrombotic events in DOACs patients.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Prevalence of hypothermia on admission to recovery room remains high despite a large use of forced-air warming devices: Findings of a non-randomized observational multicenter and pragmatic study on perioperative hypothermia prevalence in France.
Despite the availability of effective warming systems, the prevalence of hypothermia remains high in patients undergoing surgery. Occurrence of perioperative hypothermia may influence the rate of postoperative complications. Recommendations for the prevention of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia have been developed and are effective to reduce the frequency of perioperative hypothermia when professionals comply with. French Society of Anesthesiology (SFAR) decided to promote guidelines for the prevention of inadvertent hypothermia, and to conduct beforehand a pragmatic assessment of the prevalence of hypothermia in France. The hypothesis was that the rate of hypothermic patients (Tc<36°C) admitted to the RR remains high (around 50%), and that was the consequence of a warming device underutilization and/or was related to the type of health facilities. ⋯ The prevalence of hypothermia among patients admitted to the RR remains high. Our results suggest that only the combination of pre-warming and intraoperative warming significantly decreases it.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial Observational Study
Heart rate recovery and morbidity after noncardiac surgery: Planned secondary analysis of two prospective, multi-centre, blinded observational studies.
Impaired cardiac vagal function, quantified preoperatively as slower heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise, is independently associated with perioperative myocardial injury. Parasympathetic (vagal) dysfunction may also promote (extra-cardiac) multi-organ dysfunction, although perioperative data are lacking. Assuming that cardiac vagal activity, and therefore heart rate recovery response, is a marker of brainstem parasympathetic dysfunction, we hypothesized that impaired HRR would be associated with a higher incidence of morbidity after noncardiac surgery. ⋯ ISRCTN88456378.
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Multicenter Study
Drug tolerability and reasons for discontinuation of seven biologics in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis -The ANSWER cohort study.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the retention rates and reasons for discontinuation for seven biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in a real-world setting of elderly patients (65 years of age or older) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ ABT showed lowest discontinuation rate by lack of effectiveness and by toxic adverse events, which lead to highest overall retention rates (excluding non-toxic reasons and remission) among seven bDMARDs in adjusted model of elderly RA patients.