Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2015
Association between in-hospital adverse events and mortality for patients with brain tumors.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality patient safety indicators (PSIs) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) are administrative data-based metrics. The use of these outcomes as standard performance measures has been discussed in previous studies. With the objective of determining the applicability of these events as performance metrics among patients undergoing brain tumor surgery, this study had 2 aims: 1) to evaluate the association between PSIs, HACs, and in-hospital mortality rates; and 2) to determine a correlation between hospital volume, PSIs, and HACs. ⋯ Patient safety-related adverse events were strongly associated with in-hospital mortality. Moderate to strong correlations were found between PSIs, HACs, and hospital procedural volume. Patients treated at the highest-volume hospitals had consistently lower rates of mortality, PSIs, and HACs compared with those treated at the lowest-volume facilities.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2015
Predictors of response to Gamma Knife radiosurgery for intracranial meningiomas.
In this paper, the authors' aim was to determine short-term volumetric and diametric tumor growth and identify clinical, radiological, and dosimetric predictors of adverse radiation events (AREs) following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for intracranial WHO Grade I meningiomas. ⋯ Volume-based reporting of SRS outcomes for meningiomas may be a more accurate method given the complex morphology of some lesions. The conformity index was identified as a predictor of edema following radiosurgery.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2015
Actual and projected incidence rates for chronic subdural hematomas in United States Veterans Administration and civilian populations.
Chronic subdural hematomas (SDHs) are more common among veterans and elderly persons than among members of the general population; however, precise incidence rates are unknown. The purposes of this study were 1) to determine the current incidence of chronic SDH in a US Veterans Administration (VA) population and 2) to create a mathematical model for determining the current and future incidence of chronic SDH as a function of population age, sex, and comorbidity in the United States VA and civilian populations. ⋯ The incidence of chronic SDH is rising; SDH is projected to become the most common cranial neurosurgical condition among adults by the year 2030.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2015
Edema following Gamma Knife radiosurgery for parasagittal and parafalcine meningiomas.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been shown to offer a high probability of tumor control for Grade I meningiomas. However, SRS can sometimes incite edema or exacerbate preexisting edema around the targeted meningioma. The current study evaluates the incidence, timing, and degree of edema around parasagittal or parafalcine meningiomas following SRS. ⋯ Stereotactic radiosurgery offers a high rate of tumor control in patients with parasagittal or parafalcine meningiomas. However, it can lead to worsening peritumoral edema in a minority of patients. Following radiosurgery, transient edema occurs earlier than persistent and progressive edema. Longitudinal follow-up of meningioma patients after SRS is required to detect and appropriately treat transient as well as progressive edema.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Nov 2015
Observational StudyEvaluation of S100B in the diagnosis of suspected intracranial hemorrhage after minor head injury in patients who are receiving platelet aggregation inhibitors and in patients 65 years of age and older.
Cranial CT (CCT) scans and hospital admission are increasingly performed to rule out intracranial hemorrhage in patients after minor head injury (MHI), particularly in older patients and in those receiving antiplatelet therapy. This leads to high radiation exposure and a growing financial burden. The aim of this study was to determine whether the astroglial-derived protein S100B that is released into blood can be used as a reliable negative predictive tool for intracranial bleeding in patients after MHI, when they are older than 65 years or being treated with antiplatelet drugs (low-dose aspirin, clopidogrel). ⋯ Levels of S100B below 0.105 μg/L can accurately predict normal CCT findings after MHI in older patients and in those treated with PAIs. Combining conventional decision criteria with measurement of S100B can reduce the CCT scan and hospital admission rates by approximately 30%.