Latest Articles
-
Background: Despite long-standing recognition that providers should discuss DNR (do-not-resuscitate) orders prior to surgery, there is evidence that perioperative code status discussions are frequently of limited quality. Limited attention has been paid to patient perspectives. Objective: Determine the scope of literature on management of perioperative DNR orders from the patient perspective. ⋯ We highlight themes, analyze limitations of existing evidence, and outline implications for future research. Conclusions: There has been relatively little attention to the patient's perspective, preferences, and expectations regarding perioperative code status decisions. Careful investigation is necessary to inform patient-centerted approaches to communication and decision making regarding perioperative use of life-sustaining therapies.
-
The primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine for improving clinical follow-up for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence after an emergency department (ED) visit. The Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program (SAPACP) is an ED-based clinic for survivors of sexual assault/intimate partner violence. Virtual Visit, a telemedicine platform, was introduced at SAPACP in January 2020, allowing patients to attend follow-up virtually. ⋯ The implementation of Virtual Visit led to an immediate 10% increase in the proportion of overall follow-ups, which was sustained over a two-year period, while accounting for pre-Virtual Visit trends. These findings indicate that telemedicine can help improve clinical follow-up among survivors of sexual assault/intimate partner violence.
-
Pancreatic cancer is characterized by occult onset, low early diagnosis rate, rapid progress, and poor prognosis. Due to the low response rate and low PD-L1 expression in pancreatic cancer, the therapeutic application of PL-L1 inhibitors in pancreatic cancer is greatly limited. In vitro studies showed that the expression of PD-L1 increased in pancreatic cancer cells stimulated by fluorouracil (5-FU). ⋯ Moreover, the combination with the 5-FU remarkably enhanced the immune cytotoxicity of anti-PD-L1 antibodies in mice. In vitro analysis demonstrates that 5-FU increases the expression of PD-L1 on the surface of pancreatic cancer cell lines via up-regulating NF-κB and AKT pathways. This synergistic effect could be abolished by NF-κB and AKT inhibitors.
-
Anaesth Intensive Care · Jan 2025
The effect of type of anaesthetic on delirium after surgery for acute hip fracture: An instrumental variable analysis to assess causation.
Delirium is the most common in-hospital complication affecting older adults with acute hip fractures. Current evidence demonstrates inconsistent associations between anaesthetic type for acute hip fracture surgery and postoperative delirium. Using the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 50 years and over who underwent acute hip fracture surgery between 2015 and 2020. ⋯ After adjusting for known confounders, general anaesthesia patients were at slightly increased odds of developing delirium (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.25, P = 0.0052). However, the instrumental variable analysis found no statistically significant difference between groups (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.07, P = 0.141). Therefore, while a weak association was found between general anaesthesia exposure and postoperative delirium, an instrumental variable analysis to compensate for unmeasured confounding showed no causal association between general anaesthesia and postoperative delirium.
-
Internal medicine journal · Jan 2025
Clinical practice in an age of medical misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Medical misinformation (false health or medical-related information) has seen a rapid increase in volume recently, with the global surge in social media usage and further exacerbation by the COVID-19 pandemic. This may put more lives at stake, as misinformation is an often-cited reason that people make dangerous health choices, engage in harmful practices and reject beneficial health treatments. In this article, we explore the drivers and consequences, as well as suggest several strategies at the personal, educational and systemic level, for physicians to guide and communicate with patients who subscribe to medical misinformation.