Medicine
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Comparative Study
Comparative persistence of antiepileptic drugs in patients with epilepsy: A STROBE-compliant retrospective cohort study.
We compared persistence of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) including carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, topiramate, valproic acid, and phenytoin in an Asian population with epilepsy. A retrospective cohort study was conducted by analyzing Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Adult epilepsy patients newly prescribed with AEDs between 2005 and 2009 were included. ⋯ For risk of hospitalization due to seizure and in comparison with carbamazepine users, oxcarbazepine (0.66; 0.58-0.74) and lamotrigine (0.46; 0.35-0.62) users had lower risk, while phenytoin (1.35; 1.26-1.44) users had higher risk. The results remained consistent throughout series of sensitivity and stratification analyses. The persistence varied among AEDs and was better for oxcarbazepine, valproic acid, lamotrigine, and topiramate, but worse for phenytoin when compared with carbamazepine.
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Observational Study
Polymorphism in the IL4R gene and clinical features are associated with glioma prognosis: Analyses of case-cohort studies.
Inflammatory gene polymorphisms may be associated with glioma risk. The purpose of this study was to analyze effects of certain inflammatory gene and some clinical factors on patient survival. The clinical information of 269 glioma patients conceived operation from September 2010 to May 2014 to decide the 1-, 3-year survival rates according to follow-up results and analyze age, gender, the WHO classification, extent of surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy factors effects on prognosis. ⋯ Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that IL4R rs1801275 GG genotype could increase the death risk of glioma and astrocytoma patients (Glioma: hazard ratio [HR]: 4.897, 95% confidence limits [95% CI]: 1.962-12.222, P = 0.001; Astrocytoma: HR: 15.944, 95% CI: 4.019-63.253, P < 0.05). Our research results showed that extent of surgical resection, age, and chemotherapy affect the prognosis of glioma. The IL4R gene may affect the survival of glioma patients.
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Observational Study
Cerebral infarct volume measurements to improve patient selection for endovascular treatment.
Patients who have large cerebral infarctions may not be good candidates for endovascular treatment. Various methods for determining infarct volume have been used in clinical studies. We evaluated the effectiveness of several methods for measuring infarct volume, especially regarding futile outcomes despite endovascular treatment. ⋯ Regarding prediction of futile outcomes, area under ROC curve was 0.551 on NCCT ASPECTS and it was significantly smaller than that in PCCT ASPECTS (area under ROC 0.651, P = 0.030), DWI ASPECTS (0.733, P = 0.003), DWI stroke volume (0.702, P = 0.022), and infarct core volume (0.702, P = 0.021). Besides old age and high National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission, MRI parameters such as DWI ASPECTS and infarct core volume indicating large volumes were independently associated with futile outcomes in multivariable analyses. DWI ASPECTS can be a good parameter predicting futility, which is easily measured and has high prediction power.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Hospital mortality of patients aged 80 and older after surgical repair for type A acute aortic dissection in Japan.
To evaluate whether patients aged 80 and older have higher risk of hospital mortality after repair of type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD). Emergency surgery for TAAAD in patients aged 80 and older remains a controversial issue because of its high surgical risk. Data from patients who underwent surgical repair of TAAAD between April 2011 and March 2013 were retrospectively extracted from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. ⋯ Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥80 years was significantly associated with a higher risk of hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.28-2.06; P <0.001). In linear regression analysis, age ≥80 years was also significantly associated with longer hospital stay (P = 0.007). In a large, nationwide, Japanese database, patients aged 80 and older were at increased risk of hospital mortality and length of hospital stay.
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Observational Study
A retrospective observational study of functional outcomes, length of stay, and discharge disposition after an inpatient stroke rehabilitation program in Saudi Arabia.
Functional outcomes, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition have become frequent outcome measures among stroke patients after rehabilitation programs. To examine the trends of changes in functional outcomes, LOS, and discharge disposition in stroke patients discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation facility. All patients (n = 432) were admitted to a tertiary inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with stroke diagnoses from November 2008 to December 2014. ⋯ Our results suggest that functional outcomes in patients with stroke have improved after an inpatient stroke rehabilitation program between 2008 and 2014 even with a constant LOS. Discharge disposition has remained unstable over this period. To improve the efficiency of the stroke rehabilitation program in Saudi Arabia, there is a need to decrease the LOS and emphasize a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach.