Journal of neurointerventional surgery
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Over the past several decades, checklists have emerged in a variety of different patient care settings to help reduce medical errors and ensure patient safety. To date, there have been no published accounts demonstrating the effectiveness of checklists designed specifically for the unique demands of neurointerventional procedures. ⋯ Use of a neurointerventional procedural checklist resulted in statistically significant improvements in team communication and a significant reduction in total adverse events, with uniformly positive staff feedback.
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To determine the pattern of utilization of vertebral augmentation procedures including vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty of the lumbar and thoracic spine in the Medicare population in the USA. ⋯ Analysis of growth patterns of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty in the Medicare population from 2002 to 2010 illustrates a lack of growth of kyphoplasty and a decline in vertebroplasty procedures.
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Patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis of the intracranial vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) have a poor prognosis, and those with coexistent intracranial and extracranial stenoses have worse outcomes despite medical therapy. A study was undertaken to investigate the long-term outcome and restenosis rates of patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic stenoses at the intracranial VBA and the vertebral artery ostium (VAO) after drug-eluting stent (DES) placement. ⋯ This pilot study confirms that DES placement for patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic stenoses at the intracranial VBA and VAO has an acceptable long-term outcome and may be considered as an alternative to medical therapy.
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Multicenter Study
Multicenter study to assess the efficacy and safety of sacroplasty in patients with osteoporotic sacral insufficiency fractures or pathologic sacral lesions.
To assess the outcomes and safety after CT-guided percutaneous sacroplasty in patients with painful sacral insufficiency fractures or pathologic sacral lesions. ⋯ CT-guided percutaneous sacroplasty is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of painful sacral insufficiency fractures or lesions. It is associated with prompt and durable pain relief and should be considered as an effective treatment option in this patient population.
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Little is known about the safety of long-term anticoagulation in patients with unruptured saccular intracranial aneurysms, although case reports of anticoagulation in patients with fusiform and saccular aneurysms have been published. The goal of this study was to estimate the rate of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to aneurysm rupture in patients with intracranial saccular aneurysms receiving therapeutic doses of anticoagulation. ⋯ The risk of aneurysm rupture is not increased in patients receiving systemic anticoagulation. However, these results should be interpreted with caution given the small sample size in this study and the need for a prospective study to confirm these findings.