Articles: outcome.
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Deep Brain Stimulation is an effective treatment of generalized dystonia. Optimal stimulation parameters vary between patients. This article investigates the influence of electrical brain impedance and delivered current on the brain response to stimulation. ⋯ The absolute impedance did not significantly correlate with the final outcome. We conclude that the reversible decrease of impedance reflects an adaptive long-term mechanism, which could be due to a plasticity phenomenon, but has no prognostic value. Impedance and current measurements give new complementary information for parameter adjustment and trouble shooting and should therefore be included in all patients' follow-up.
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Specific search criteria identified 600 articles for review, of which 24 met inclusion and exclusion criteria: 2 in group 2, 3 in group 3, 14 in group 4, and 5 in group 4. A total of 1172 patients were represented (surgical treatment = 833, mean = 43.7 months' follow-up; conservative treatment = 339, mean = 60.4 months' follow-up). Both surgically and conservatively treated patients reported similar overall satisfactory outcome (88% surgical versus 87% conservative). Patients with surgical treatment reported longer time to return to work and premorbid activities. Among patients treated surgically, 59% had additional surgery, 6% had wound breakdown, 20% had fixation failure, and 3% reported residual deformity. Only 1% of conservatively treated patients reported wound problems, 6% had additional surgery, and 37% reported residual deformity. In only 1 study did the authors report the incidence of posttraumatic arthritis: 25% among surgically treated and 43% among conservatively treated patients. Analysis of secondary outcomes suggests that both groups had little or no pain (93% surgical, 96% conservative) but more conservatively treated patients had normal to near-normal range of motion (95% versus 86%) and normal strength (92% versus 87%). Conservative treatment of AC dislocations is 21% more likely to result in a satisfactory outcome than surgical treatment (odds ratio = 0.79, 95% confidence interval = 0.36, 1.71). The need for additional surgery is 7.4 times more likely and infection is 3.2 times more likely with surgical management. ⋯ These data suggest that the current evidence does not support surgical treatment of grade III AC dislocations with respect to overall patient satisfaction as well as clinical outcomes such as pain, range of motion, and strength.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Mar 2004
Low dose (renal dose) dopamine in the critically ill patient.
A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether low dose (renal dose) dopamine in the critically ill patient prevents acute renal failure. ⋯ The author, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results, and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. We conclude that there is no evidence to support the use of low-dose dopamine to treat acute renal failure in critically ill patients.
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This was a pilot study to test the potential effectiveness of intradiscal restorative injection therapy and compare with intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET). Thirty-five patients for intradiscal injection and seventy-four for IDET took part in the study. All patients had intractable chronic discogenic low back pain, confirmed by discogram study. ⋯ However, the duration of pain flare-up was notably shorter for restorative injections (8.6 days) than for IDET (33.1 days). Biochemical intradiscal restorative injections may be useful to reduce pain and disability in patients with chronic discogenic low back pain, and have clinically similar efficacy to IDET, but with improved cost-benefit ratio. The results of this study indicate that controlled random prospective comparative studies need to be performed to establish the efficacy of this treatment.
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To evaluate the pattern and flow of epidural contrast in fluoroscopically guided lumbar interlaminar steroid injections. ⋯ Thirty six percent of the injections observed in the study revealed ventral contrast flow. Bilateral contrast flow occurred in 16% of the injections. Caudad contrast flow is less than cephalad. The observed contrast flows need to be studied clinically to determine if this can affect clinical outcome.