Funding Research in Emergency Department Shared Decision Making: a Summary of the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference Panel Discussion

Abstract

As part of the 2016 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, "Shared Decision Making in the Emergency Department: Development of a Policy-Relevant Patient-Centered Research Agenda," a panel of representatives from the Office of Emergency Care Research, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the American Heart Association, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Emergency Care Coordination Center were assembled to discuss funding opportunities for future research in this field. This article summarizes their discussion of funding priorities and examples of successfully funded projects related to shared decision making in emergency medicine.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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An Alternative single-stage application of the paramedian forehead flap in reconstruction of the face

Publication date: Available online 29 July 2016
Source:Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery
Author(s): Alessandro Innocenti, Marco Innocenti
BackgroundParamedian forehead flap represents a workhorse in facial soft tissue reconstruction but always requires a second step in order to interrupt the skin bridge. Direct visualization and dissection of vascular pedicle may avoid this drawback.Methods21 patients were treated between January 2012 and January 2014: 6 underwent nasal reconstruction and 15 full thickness defect of medial canthus of an orbital region. The follow-up ranges between 6 months and 2 years. All procedures were carried out in a single stage.ResultAll flaps were performed in a single-stage procedure, survived and healed uneventfully.ConclusionThe authors describe a refinement of the original technique to be reserved for cases where vessels could be identified by Doppler, consisting in the direct visualization and dissection of the initial tract of the vascular pedicle, thus providing an extremely mobile pedicle whose size allows to locate the first part of the pedicle in the nasion, tunneling under a skin bridge between the emergence of the vessels and the defect.



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The use and reliability of SymNose for quantitative measurement of the nose and lip in unilateral cleft lip and palate patients

Publication date: Available online 28 July 2016
Source:Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery
Author(s): David Mosmuller, Robin Tan, Frans Mulder, Yara Bachour, Henrica de Vet, Peter Don Griot
IntroductionIt is essential to have a reliable assessment method in order to compare the results of cleft lip and palate surgery. In this study the computer-based program SymNose, a method for quantitative assessment of the nose and lip, will be assessed on usability and reliability.MethodsThe symmetry of the nose and lip was measured twice in 50 sixyear-old complete and incomplete unilateral cleft lip and palate patients by four observers. For the frontal view the asymmetry level of the nose and upper lip were evaluated and for the basal view the asymmetry level of the nose and nostrils were evaluated.ResultsA mean inter-observer reliability when tracing each image once or twice was 0.70 and 0.75, respectively. Tracing the photographs with 2 observers and 4 observers gave a mean inter-observer score of 0.86 and 0.92, respectively. The mean intra-observer reliability varied between 0.80 and 0.84.ConclusionsSymNose is a practical and reliable tool for the retrospective assessment of large caseloads of 2D photographs of cleft patients for research purposes. Moderate to high single inter-observer reliability was found. For future research with SymNose reliable outcomes can be achieved by using the average outcomes of single tracings of two observers.



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Short-Term Cardioprotective Effects of the Original Perindopril/Amlodipine Fixed-Dose Combination in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease: Results of the PAPA-CAD Study

Abstract

Introduction

Long-term therapy with a combination of perindopril and amlodipine has shown a beneficial effect on the morbidity and mortality of patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) and hypertension. On the basis of the antiproliferative, antithrombotic, and antiatherogenic effects of the active substances, we initiated data collection to examine the short-term cardioprotective effect of perindopril/amlodipine fixed-dose combination therapy in this patient group. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of perindopril/amlodipine fixed-dose combination on the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class and exercise capacity of patients with SCAD in everyday medical practice.

Methods

This was a multicenter, prospective, observational, non-interventional, open-label, 6-month clinical study. Patients attended four visits (inclusion, and at months 1, 3, and 6), and clinical information was collected [risk factors, comorbidities, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate measured at the physician's office, drug treatment, CCS class, adverse events, optional laboratory blood tests, and exercise electrocardiography (ECG)].

Results

This study included 3472 patients. The mean office systolic BP/diastolic BP decreased from 157.5 ± 12.9/92.9 ± 8.6 to 130.3 ± 8.3/79.8 ± 6.1 mmHg (P < 0.0001). During the 6-month study period, a favorable change in CCS grading was observed following treatment with fixed-dose combination perindopril/amlodipine: CCS I, from 42.6% to 71.4%; CCS II, from 46.4% to 26.5%; CCS III, from 10.2% to 2.0%; and CCS IV, from 0.8% to 0.1% (all P < 0.0001). In those patients who had exercise ECG at inclusion and the end of month 6 (n = 197) the mean performance, measured in watts, increased from 88.9 ± 37.9 to 110.5 ± 38.4 W (+24.4%; P < 0.001) and from 7.86 ± 2.95 to 8.78 ± 2.92 metabolic equivalent of task (MET) (+11.7%; P < 0.001). No serious adverse events were reported and the treatment was found to have a positive impact on patients' metabolic profiles.

Conclusion

The fixed-dose combination of perindopril and amlodipine improved the CCS class and exercise capacity in patients with SCAD after 6 months of treatment. The fixed-dose combination of perindopril and amlodipine can have favorable effects on the cardiovascular system, not only by its BP-lowering effect and its effect on vascular resistance but also through its direct cardiovascular protective effects.

Funding

Egis Pharmaceuticals.

Trial registration

21938-1/2011-EKU (698/PI/11.)

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Charges associated with imaging techniques in evaluation of pediatric hearing loss

Publication date: October 2016
Source:International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Volume 89
Author(s): Samantha Anne, Samuel Trosman, Timothy Haffey, Raj Sindwani, Katie Geelan-Hansen
ObjectiveThe best imaging study for evaluation of pediatric hearing loss is debated and it is well known magnetic resonance imaging is more costly than computed tomography. The objective of this study is to evaluate charges of computed tomography temporal bone (CTTB) versus magnetic resonance imaging brain, internal auditory canal/cerebellopontine angle (MRI IAC/CPA), with and without sedation in the pediatric population in order to assess to what extent the charges for the procedure are increased. In addition, differences in need for sedation and duration of sedation will be evaluated.MethodsAll patients, 0–18 years that underwent CTTB or MRI IAC/CPA, between January 2013 through December 2014 within department of otolaryngology.Results120 CTTBs (118 non-sedated and 2 sedated) and 51 MRI IAC/CPAs (32 non-sedated and 19 sedated) were performed. Average charge for non-sedated CTTB was $1856. CTTB scan under sedation incurred total additional charges of $2385. Average charges for non-sedated MRI IAC/CPA was $3770. Technical charges for sedated MRI IAC/CPA was $151 lower ($2858) but had additional sedation charges of $2256, a recovery room charge of $250, and additional professional fees of $1496 for total charges of $7621. 37% of MRI IAC/CPAs needed sedation to be completed in comparison to 1.6% of CTTB.ConclusionMRI IAC/CPAs are, on average, twice as costly as CTTBs. Almost 40% of patients need sedation to complete MRI IAC/CPA. These considerations may factor into decision making when choosing imaging modality in evaluation of pediatric hearing loss.



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The suppressive effects of metformin on inflammatory response of otitis media model in human middle ear epithelial cells

Publication date: October 2016
Source:International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Volume 89
Author(s): Jae Gu Cho, Jae Jun Song, June Choi, Gi Jung Im, Hak Hyun Jung, Sung Won Chae
ObjectiveMetformin is a well-known anti-diabetic agent, but its mechanism is unclear. Recently, many reports have described the anti-inflammatory effects of metformin on various cell types, including human vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. This study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of metformin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation in human middle ear epithelial cell lines (HMEECs).MethodsThe effect of pretreatment by metformin (0, 1, 2, 4 mM) was evaluated by the inflammatory response in the HMEECs exposed to LPS (10 ng/ml). For verifying the suppression effect of metformin on the inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and COX-2 protein was assessed by western blotting. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using 2′, 7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFHDA) fluorocytometer.ResultsStimulation by LPS 10 ng/ml concentration showed 12.4 folds increase the expression of TNF-α mRNA compared to control on HMEECs. Pretreatment of metformin dose dependently suppressed the expression of TNF-α mRNA induced by LPS (2 mM, p = 0.03). The amount of COX-2 protein production was significantly decreased by metformin pretreatment (4 mM, p = 0.01). The production of ROS was decreased significantly by pretreatment of metformin (p = 0.03).ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the inflammatory response and oxidative stress induced by LPS could be suppressed by metformin in HMEECs. Therefore, metformin may have a therapeutic potential for the treatment of the otitis media.



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Reading skills in Persian deaf children with cochlear implants and hearing aids

Publication date: October 2016
Source:International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, Volume 89
Author(s): Mohammad Rezaei, Vahid Rashedi, Esmaeil Khedmati Morasae
ObjectivesReading skills are necessary for educational development in children. Many studies have shown that children with hearing loss often experience delays in reading. This study aimed to examine reading skills of Persian deaf children with cochlear implant and hearing aid and compare them with normal hearing counterparts.MethodThe sample consisted of 72 s and third grade Persian-speaking children aged 8–12 years. They were divided into three equal groups including 24 children with cochlear implant (CI), 24 children with hearing aid (HA), and 24 children with normal hearing (NH). Reading performance of participants was evaluated by the "Nama" reading test. "Nama" provides normative data for hearing and deaf children and consists of 10 subtests and the sum of the scores is regarded as reading performance score.ResultsResults of ANOVA on reading test showed that NH children had significantly better reading performance than deaf children with CI and HA in both grades (P < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis, using Tukey test, indicated that there was no significant difference between HA and CI groups in terms of non-word reading, word reading, and word comprehension skills (respectively, P = 0.976, P = 0.988, P = 0.998).ConclusionConsidering the findings, cochlear implantation is not significantly more effective than hearing aid for improvement of reading abilities. It is clear that even with considerable advances in hearing aid technology, many deaf children continue to find literacy a challenging struggle.



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