A 20-year study of persistence of lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence in young women treated in childhood

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether urinary incontinence (UI) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) persist over years, patients treated for UI and LUTS in childhood were re-evaluated in adulthood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven women (cases) treated in childhood for daytime UI/LUTS (group A) and nocturnal enuresis (group B) self-completed (average age: 24.89 ± 3.5 years) the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for Female with LUTS (ICIQ-FLUTS). ICIQ-FLUTS was self-administered to 111 healthy women (average age: 23 ± 5.1 years) from a nursing school as a control group. Data obtained from ICIQ-FLUTS and quality of life (QoL) score (0-10) were compared (Fisher's exact test) between patients and controls, and between group A (n = 28) and group B (n = 19). RESULTS: Prevalence of LUTS was higher in patients than in controls. The difference between patients and controls was statistically significant (p = 0.0001) for UI (34% vs. 7%) and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying (49% vs. 28%). QoL score was >5 in 59% of patients and 1% of controls (p = 0.0001). No significant differences were found between groups A and B. CONCLUSIONS: UI and LUTS are confirmed in young women who suffered for the same condition in childhood. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess if these symptoms persist or are newly onset

3-T MRI and clinical validation of ultrasound-guided transperineal laser ablation of benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background: Transperineal laser ablation (TPLA) of the prostate is a novel, mini-invasive option for men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). Our aim was to assess the impact of ultrasound-guided TPLA regarding urodynamic improvement and sexual function, monitoring clinical data, postprocedural complications and imaging findings at 3-T multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: Forty-four patients aged ≥ 50 affected with moderate to severe LUTS (International Prostate Symptoms score ≥ 12) due to benign prostatic obstruction and refractoriness, intolerance or poor compliance to medical therapies underwent US-guided TPLA between May 2018 and February 2020. Clinical measurements included PSA, uroflowmetry, sexual function assessment (using the International Index of Erectile Function and Male Sexual Health Questionnaire-Ejaculatory Dysfunction short form) and quality of life questionnaire. Adverse events were evaluated using the Clavien-Dindo scale. Volume changes were measured by MRI and automatic segmentation software during 1-year follow-up. Registration: NCT04044573 – May 5th, 2018, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov Results: MRI assessed the changes over time with a 53% mean reduction of adenoma volume and 71% of the ablated area, associated with clinical and functional improvement and resolution of LUTS in all cases. Five of 44 patients (11.3%) had urinary blockage due to clots and required re-catheterisation for 2 weeks. The overall adverse event rate was 7%. Conclusion: US-guided TPLA performed as a safe, manageable and effective treatment for LUTS. It could be considered an alternative effective mini-invasive procedure to standard treatments for BPH in the outpatient setting

Characterization of atmospheric aerosol size distributions at the Izaña station connections to new particle formation at a high altitude

Understanding the process of New Particle Formation (NPF) can help us both to protect human health and to fight climate change. On the one hand, nanometric particles can enter the lungs and penetrate into the blood circulation and cross the blood-brain barrier. On the other hand, they can act as cloud condensation nuclei, thus altering the properties and distribution of clouds, and interact with the solar radiation. Despite recent advances in the instrumentation to detect newly formed particles, the mechanism of NPF and the participating precursors are still under investigation, especially at high-altitude and mountain sites reaching the free troposphere. In fact, not only the instrument maintenance is complicated by the low atmospheric pressure there, but also the identification of the NPF events may be challenging due to the complex local topography affecting the spatial extent of the phenomenon. For example, changes of air mass can occur during daytime due to the transport of gases and particles from the lower altitude. To investigate NPF in marine free troposphere, we performed a three-month long measurement campaign between April 2nd, 2022, and June 27th, 2022, at the high-altitude mountain station of Izaña (2367 m a.s.l.), on the island of Tenerife, Spain. The observations included high time resolution size distribution measurements of particles with a diameter between 1.2 nm and 533 nm and of atmospheric ions with a diameter between 0.8 nm and 38 nm, which were detected using a Neutral cluster and Air Ion Spectrometer (NAIS), a nano-Condensation Nucleus Counter (nCNC), and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS). After classifying the daily aerosol size distribution data into NPF events and non-events, the influence of the boundary layer dynamics to the process was explored. We compared the time evolution of the size distribution surface plots to the trends of meteorological variables and boundary layer tracers (i.e., black carbon, CO, and water mixing ratio). The results show the importance of the air masses from vertical transport on the process of NPF (an example is shown in Figure 1). We, thus, investigated the typical conditions under which NPF was detected. Furthermore, the role of ions in the NPF process will be investigated. We will also show the growth rates and formation rates for sub-10 nm particles in Izaña, which are important to understand the potential mechanisms that promote the gas-to-particle conversion above the marine stratocumulus layer. The role of the precursor vapor sulfuric acid to NPF will be discussed as well

199 Less invasive, more effective: single puncture combined lumbar plexus and transmuscular quadratus lumborum blocks for long lasting unilateral vascular surgery procedures in fragile patients

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The Impact of Lockdown on Couples' Sex Lives

Background: the aim of this study was to perform an Italian telematics survey analysis on the changes in couples' sex lives during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown. Methods: a multicenter cross sectional study was conducted on people sexually active and in stable relationships for at least 6 months. To evaluate male and female sexual dysfunctions, we used the international index of erectile function (IIEF-15) and the female sexual function index (FSFI), respectively; marital quality and stability were evaluated by the marital adjustment test (items 10-15); to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms, we used the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. The effects of the quarantine on couples' relationships was assessed with questions created in-house. Results: we included 2149 participants. The sex lives improved for 49% of participants, particularly those in cohabitation; for 29% it deteriorated, while for 22% of participants it did not change. Women who responded that their sex lives deteriorated had no sexual dysfunction, but they had anxiety, tension, fear, and insomnia. Contrarily, men who reported deteriorating sex lives had erectile dysfunctions and orgasmic disorders. In both genders, being unemployed or smart working, or having sons were risk factors for worsening the couples' sex lives. Conclusion: this study should encourage evaluation of the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the sex lives of couples

Randomised Controlled Trials Assessing the Clinical Value of Urodynamic Studies: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Context: The role of urodynamic studies (UDSs) in the diagnosis of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is crucial. Although expert statements and guidelines underline their value for clinical decision-making in various clinical settings, the academic debate as to their impact on patient outcomes continues. Objective: To summarise the evidence from all randomised controlled trials assessing the clinical usefulness of UDS in the management of LUTS. Evidence acquisition: For this systematic review, searches were performed without language restrictions in three electronic databases until November 18, 2020. The inclusion criteria were randomised controlled study design and allocation to receive UDS or not prior to any clinical management. Quality assessment was performed by two reviewers independently, using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias. A random-effect meta-analysis was performed on the uniformly reported outcome parameters. Evidence synthesis: Eight trials were included, and all but two focused on women with pure or predominant stress urinary incontinence (SUI). A meta-analysis of six studies including 942 female patients was possible for treatment success, as defined by the authors (relative risk 1.00, 95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.07), indicating no difference in efficacy when managing women with UDS. Conclusions: Although UDSs are not replaceable in diagnostics, since there is no other equivalent method to find out exactly what the lower urinary tract problem is, there are little data supporting its impact on outcomes. Randomised controlled trials have focussed on a small group of women with uncomplicated SUI and showed no added value, but these findings cannot be extrapolated to the overall patient population with LUTS, warranting further well-designed trials. Patient summary: Despite urodynamics being the gold standard to assess lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), as it is the only method that can specify lower urinary tract dysfunction, more studies assessing the clinical usefulness of urodynamic studies (UDSs) in the management of LUTS are needed. UDS investigation is not increasing the probability of success in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence

Influence of airway management strategy on "no-flow-time" during an "Advanced life support course" for intensive care nurses – A single rescuer resuscitation manikin study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 1999, the laryngeal tube (VBM Medizintechnik, Sulz, Germany) was introduced as a new supraglottic airway. It was designed to allow either spontaneous breathing or controlled ventilation during anaesthesia; additionally it may serve as an alternative to endotracheal intubation, or bag-mask ventilation during resuscitation. Several variations of this supraglottic airway exist. In our study, we compared ventilation with the laryngeal tube suction for single use (LTS-D) and a bag-mask device. One of the main points of the revised ERC 2005 guidelines is a low no-flow-time (NFT). The NFT is defined as the time during which no chest compression occurs. Traditionally during the first few minutes of resuscitation NFT is very high. We evaluated the hypothesis that utilization of the LTS-D could reduce the NFT compared to bag-mask ventilation (BMV) during simulated cardiac arrest in a single rescuer manikin study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Participants were studied during a one day advanced life support (ALS) course. Two scenarios of arrhythmias requiring defibrillation were simulated in a manikin. One scenario required subjects to establish the airway with a LTS-D; alternatively, the second scenario required them to use BMV. The scenario duration was 430 seconds for the LTS-D scenario, and 420 seconds for the BMV scenario, respectively. Experienced ICU nurses were recruited as study subjects. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two groups first (LTS-D and BMV) to establish the airway. Endpoints were the total NFT during the scenario, the successful airway management using the respective device, and participants' preference of one of the two strategies for airway management.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Utilization of the LTS-D reduced NFT significantly (p < 0.01). Adherence to the time frame of ERC guidelines was 96% in the LTS-D group versus 30% in the BMV group. Two participants in the LTS-D group required more than one attempt to establish the LTS-D correctly. Once established, ventilation was effective in 100%. In a subjective evaluation all participants preferred the LTS-D over BMV to provide ventilation in a cardiac arrest scenario.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In our manikin study, NFT was reduced significantly when using LTS-D compared to BMV. During cardiac arrest, the LTS-D might be a good alternative to BMV for providing and maintaining a patent airway. For personnel not experienced in endotracheal intubation it seems to be a safe airway device in a manikin use.</p

Cardiometabolic multimorbidity is associated with a worse Covid-19 prognosis than individual cardiometabolic risk factors. A multicentre retrospective study (CoViDiab II)

Background: Cardiometabolic disorders may worsen Covid-19 outcomes. We investigated features and Covid-19 outcomes for patients with or without diabetes, and with or without cardiometabolic multimorbidity. Methods: We collected and compared data retrospectively from patients hospitalized for Covid-19 with and without diabetes, and with and without cardiometabolic multimorbidity (defined as ≥ two of three risk factors of diabetes, hypertension or dyslipidaemia). Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the risk of the primary composite outcome (any of mechanical ventilation, admission to an intensive care unit [ICU] or death) in patients with diabetes and in those with cardiometabolic multimorbidity, adjusting for confounders. Results: Of 354 patients enrolled, those with diabetes (n = 81), compared with those without diabetes (n = 273), had characteristics associated with the primary composite outcome that included older age, higher prevalence of hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), higher levels of inflammatory markers and a lower PaO2/FIO2 ratio. The risk of the primary composite outcome in the 277 patients who completed the study as of May 15th, 2020, was higher in those with diabetes (Adjusted Odds Ratio (adjOR) 2.04, 95%CI 1.12-3.73, p = 0.020), hypertension (adjOR 2.31, 95%CI: 1.37-3.92, p = 0.002) and COPD (adjOR 2.67, 95%CI 1.23-5.80, p = 0.013). Patients with cardiometabolic multimorbidity were at higher risk compared to patients with no cardiometabolic conditions (adjOR 3.19 95%CI 1.61-6.34, p = 0.001). The risk for patients with a single cardiometabolic risk factor did not differ with that for patients with no cardiometabolic risk factors (adjOR 1.66, 0.90-3.06, adjp = 0.10). Conclusions: Patients with diabetes hospitalized for Covid-19 present with high-risk features. They are at increased risk of adverse outcomes, likely because diabetes clusters with other cardiometabolic conditions

Empirical test of an agricultural landscape model: the importance of farmer preference for risk aversion and crop complexity

Developing models to predict the effects of social and economic change on agricultural landscapes is an important challenge. Model development often involves making decisions about which aspects of the system require detailed description and which are reasonably insensitive to the assumptions. However, important components of the system are often left out because parameter estimates are unavailable. In particular, measurements of the relative influence of different objectives, such as risk, environmental management, on farmer decision making, have proven difficult to quantify. We describe a model that can make predictions of land use on the basis of profit alone or with the inclusion of explicit additional objectives. Importantly, our model is specifically designed to use parameter estimates for additional objectives obtained via farmer interviews. By statistically comparing the outputs of this model with a large farm-level land-use data set, we show that cropping patterns in the United Kingdom contain a significant contribution from farmer’s preference for objectives other than profit. In particular, we found that risk aversion had an effect on the accuracy of model predictions, whereas preference for a particular number of crops grown was less important. While nonprofit objectives have frequently been identified as factors in farmers’ decision making, our results take this analysis further by demonstrating the relationship between these preferences and actual cropping patterns