Articles: cations.
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To characterize the impact of pulmonary complications (PCs) on mortality, costs, and readmissions after elective cardiac operations in a national cohort and to test for hospital-level variation in PC. ⋯ Pulmonary complications remain common after cardiac surgery and are associated with substantially increased mortality and expenditures. Significant hospital-level variation in PC exists in the United States, suggesting the need for systematic quality improvement efforts to reduce PC and their impact on outcomes.
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Leaving an injured solid organ in situ allows preservation of structure function but invites complications from the damaged parenchyma, including pseudoaneurysms (PSAs). Empiric PSA screening after solid organ injury is not yet established, particularly following penetrating trauma. The study objective was definition of delayed CT angiography (dCTA) yield in triggering intervention for PSA after penetrating solid organ injury. ⋯ Half of eligible penetrating high-grade solid organ injuries were screened for PSA with dCTA. dCTA identified a significant number of PSAs and triggered intervention in 23% of screened patients. dCTA did not diagnose any PSAs after splenic injury, although sample size hinders interpretation. To avoid missing PSAs and incurring their risk of rupture, universal screening of high-grade penetrating solid organ injuries may be prudent.
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Open and robotic-assisted transthoracic approaches for diaphragm plication are accepted surgical interventions for diaphragm paralysis and eventration. However, long-term patient-reported symptom improvement and quality of life (QOL) remains unclear. ⋯ Patients report significantly improved dyspneic and fatigue symptoms after transthoracic diaphragm plication, regardless of open or robotic-assisted approach. The majority of patients report improved QOL and exercise capacity.
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Hydrocephalus frequently occurs with midline posterior fossa cystic collections. The classification of this heterogeneous group of developmental anomalies, including Dandy-Walker malformation, persisting Blake's pouch, retrocerebellar arachnoid cysts, and mega cisterna magna, is subject of debate. The absence of diagnostic criteria is confusing regarding the ideal management of PFCC-related hydrocephalus. ⋯ Preoperative MRI in patients with PFCC-related hydrocephalus is essential to better define the diagnosis. The choice of treatment strategy notably relies on correct radiological diagnosis.
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There is an increasing usage of noninvasive screening modalities for colorectal cancer (CRC), primarily the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and multi-target stool DNA test (Cologuard [CG]). The aim of this study was to determine the comprehensive, long-term cost implications of these noninvasive screening modalities. ⋯ The adoption of FIT as the primary noninvasive CRC screening method has the potential to generate significant cost savings, and therefore, carries significant value implications for a large population health system.