Neurosurgery
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Observational Study
Sonication Improves Pathogen Detection in Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt-Associated Infections.
Antimicrobial treatment of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt infections is challenging when the causative pathogen is unknown. ⋯ Sonication significantly increases the microbiological yield in VP-shunt infections, especially in patients receiving antibiotics prior to diagnostics and in infections caused by low-virulent organisms. The implementation of sonication into the clinical routine can substantially increase the rate of pathogen detection allowing targeted treatment.
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Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a highly effective management approach for patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS), with 10-yr control rates up 98%. When it fails, however, few data are available to guide management. ⋯ Patients with progressing VS after radiosurgery can be safely and effectively managed using a second SRS procedure.
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Observational Study
Quality of British and American Nationwide Quality of Care and Patient Safety Benchmarking Programs: Case Neurosurgery.
Multiple nationwide outcome registries are utilized for quality benchmarking between institutions and individual surgeons. ⋯ The implemented benchmarking programs in the United Kingdom and United States fail to identify a considerable number of complications in a high-volume center. Health care policy makers should be cautious as outcome comparisons between most centers and individual surgeons are questionable if based on the programs.