Plos One
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for cancer of the esophagus or the gastroesophageal junction: A meta-analysis based on clinical trials.
The benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for treating cancer of the esophagus or the gastroesophageal junction remains controversial. In the present study, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to examine the efficacy of these two management strategies. ⋯ Our findings suggested that compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy should be recommended with a significant long-term survival benefit in patients with cancer of the esophagus or the gastroesophageal junction. In view of the clinical heterogeneity, whether these conclusions are broadly applicable should be further determined.
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Few data are available regarding hypoxic hepatitis (HH) and acute liver failure (ALF) in patients resuscitated from cardiac arrest (CA). The aim of this study was to describe the occurrence of these complications and their association with outcome. All adult patients admitted to the Department of Intensive Care following CA were considered for inclusion in this retrospective study. ⋯ Unwitnessed arrest, non-shockable initial rhythm, lack of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, high adrenaline doses and the development of acute kidney injury were independent predictors of unfavourable neurological outcome; HH (OR: 16.276 [95% CIs: 2.625-81.345; p = 0.003), but not ALF, was also a significant risk-factor for unfavourable outcome. Although ALF occurs frequently after CA, HH is a rare complication. Only HH is significantly associated with poor neurological outcome in this setting.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
The cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab, ranibizumab and aflibercept for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration-A cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective.
The discussion on the use of bevacizumab is still ongoing and often doctors are deterred from using bevacizumab due to legal or political issues. Bevacizumab is an effective, safe and inexpensive treatment option for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), albeit unregistered for the disease. Therefore, in some countries ophthalmologists use the equally effective but expensive drugs ranibizumab and aflibercept. We describe the economic consequences of this dilemma surrounding AMD treatment from a societal perspective. ⋯ Bevacizumab is the most cost-effective treatment for AMD, yet is not the standard of care across Europe. The registered drugs ranibizumab and aflibercept lead to large overspending without additional health benefits. Health authorities should consider taking steps to implement bevacizumab into clinical practice as first choice.
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Vital sign measurements in hospitalized patients by nurses are time consuming and prone to operational errors. The Checkme, a smart all-in-one device capable of measuring vital signs, could improve daily patient monitoring by reducing measurement time, inter-observer variability, and incorrect inputs in the Electronic Health Record (EHR). We evaluated the accuracy of self measurements by patient using the Checkme in comparison with gold standard and nurse measurements. ⋯ Patient-calculated MEWS using the Checkme, nurse measurements, and gold standard measurements all correlated well, and the small differences observed between modalities would not have affected clinical decision making. Using the Checkme, patients in a general medical ward setting are able to measure their own vital signs easily and accurately by themselves. This could be time saving for nurses and prevent errors due to manually entering data in the EHR.
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Negative workplace behaviour, especially negative communication is a recognised problem in many organisations and is known to have serious impact on workplace performance, productivity and personal wellbeing. Emergency Departments (ED) can be high stress environments in which communication and perceptions of respect between physicians and other staff may underlie individual functioning. We conducted a study to estimate the influence of incivility (ICV) among physicians in the ED. ⋯ The incidence of incivility was high among the ED physicians. Although this was a small sample, the association between workplace ICV and psychological safety, personal irritation as well personal comfort suggests that ICV may be an important variable underlying ED team performance. These findings further underscore the need to foster a culture of respect and good communication between departments, as levels of ICV were highest with physicians from outside the ED. Future research would benefit from examining strategies to prevent and reduce ICV and identify reasons for personal variation in perception of ICV. During critical situations and in general collaboration with specialists, awareness of ICV and countermeasures are important to avoid decreased performance and negative impact on staff and patient.