Pattern of care and effectiveness of treatment for glioblastoma patients in the real world: Results from a prospective population-based registry. Could survival differ in a high-volume center?

BACKGROUND: As yet, no population-based prospective studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence and clinical outcome of glioblastoma (GBM) or the diffusion and impact of the current standard therapeutic approach in newly diagnosed patients younger than aged 70 years. METHODS: Data on all new cases of primary brain tumors observed from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, in adults residing within the Emilia-Romagna region were recorded in a prospective registry in the Project of Emilia Romagna on Neuro-Oncology (PERNO). Based on the data from this registry, a prospective evaluation was made of the treatment efficacy and outcome in GBM patients. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-seven GBM patients (median age, 64 y; range, 29-84 y) were enrolled. The median overall survival (OS) was 10.7 months (95% CI, 9.2-12.4). The 139 patients 64aged 70 years who were given standard temozolomide treatment concomitant with and adjuvant to radiotherapy had a median OS of 16.4 months (95% CI, 14.0-18.5). With multivariate analysis, OS correlated significantly with KPS (HR = 0.458; 95% CI, 0.248-0.847; P = .0127), MGMT methylation status (HR = 0.612; 95% CI, 0.388-0.966; P = .0350), and treatment received in a high versus low-volume center (HR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.328-0.986; P = .0446). CONCLUSIONS: The median OS following standard temozolomide treatment concurrent with and adjuvant to radiotherapy given to (72.8% of) patients aged 6470 years is consistent with findings reported from randomized phase III trials. The volume and expertise of the treatment center should be further investigated as a prognostic factor

Correction to: Two years later: Is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still having an impact on emergency surgery? An international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still ongoing and a major challenge for health care services worldwide. In the first WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey, a strong negative impact on emergency surgery (ES) had been described already early in the pandemic situation. However, the knowledge is limited about current effects of the pandemic on patient flow through emergency rooms, daily routine and decision making in ES as well as their changes over time during the last two pandemic years. This second WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey investigates the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on ES during the course of the pandemic. Methods: A web survey had been distributed to medical specialists in ES during a four-week period from January 2022, investigating the impact of the pandemic on patients and septic diseases both requiring ES, structural problems due to the pandemic and time-to-intervention in ES routine. Results: 367 collaborators from 59 countries responded to the survey. The majority indicated that the pandemic still significantly impacts on treatment and outcome of surgical emergency patients (83.1% and 78.5%, respectively). As reasons, the collaborators reported decreased case load in ES (44.7%), but patients presenting with more prolonged and severe diseases, especially concerning perforated appendicitis (62.1%) and diverticulitis (57.5%). Otherwise, approximately 50% of the participants still observe a delay in time-to-intervention in ES compared with the situation before the pandemic. Relevant causes leading to enlarged time-to-intervention in ES during the pandemic are persistent problems with in-hospital logistics, lacks in medical staff as well as operating room and intensive care capacities during the pandemic. This leads not only to the need for triage or transferring of ES patients to other hospitals, reported by 64.0% and 48.8% of the collaborators, respectively, but also to paradigm shifts in treatment modalities to non-operative approaches reported by 67.3% of the participants, especially in uncomplicated appendicitis, cholecystitis and multiple-recurrent diverticulitis. Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still significantly impacts on care and outcome of patients in ES. Well-known problems with in-hospital logistics are not sufficiently resolved by now; however, medical staff shortages and reduced capacities have been dramatically aggravated over last two pandemic years

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)

Hypoxia induces cell damage via oxidative stress in retinal epithelial cells

Retinal diseases (RD), including diabetic retinopathy, are among the most important eye diseases in industrialized countries. RD is characterized by abnormal angiogenesis associated with an increase in cell proliferation and apoptosis. Hypoxia could be one of the triggers of the pathogenic mechanism of this disease. A key regulatory component of the cell's hypoxia response system is hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α). It has been demonstrated that the induction of HIF-1α expression can be also achieved in vitro by exposure with cobalt chloride (CoCl2), leading to an intracellular hypoxia-like state. In this study we have investigated the effects of CoCl2 on human retinal epithelium cells (hRPE), which are an integral part of the blood-retinal barrier, with the aim to determine the possible role of oxidative stress in chemical hypoxia-induced damage in retinal epithelial cells. Our data showed that CoCl2 treatment is able to induce HIF-1α expression, that parallels with the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the increase of lipid 8-isoprostanes and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) protein adducts levels. In addition we observed the activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NFkB) by CoCl2 which can explain the increased levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The increased number of dead cells seems to be related to an apoptotic process. Taken together these evidences suggest that oxidative stress induced by hypoxia might be involved in RD development through the stimulation of two key-events of RD such as neo-angiogenesis and apoptosis

Avaliação clínica da ablação uveal intravítrea com gentamicina em cães portadores de glaucoma crônico

Investigou-se, clinicamente o resultado da ablação uveal intravítrea em 13 olhos cegos de cães com glaucoma crônico unilateral. Os olhos acometidos foram submetidos à ablação uveal intravítrea, por meio de injeção na câmara vítrea de 0,5ml de sulfato de gentamicina (40mg/ml) associado a 0,3ml de fosfato de dexametasona (4mg/ml). As variáveis clinicas oftálmicas foram quali-quantificadas em escores, por até 48 semanas do pós-operatório; além de aspectos relacionados à dor, como variações do apetite e peso corporal. Nos sinais clínicos, de secreção ocular, blefaroespasmo, quemose, hifema e pigmentação, neovascularização, pannus e variações de apetite e peso corporal, não se notaram diferenças significativas entre os momentos. A ablação uveal intravítrea diminuiu a hiperemia conjuntival, porém acarretou aumento de opacidade corneana. A associação da ablação com antiinflamatórios tópico e sistêmico indicou não se tratar de procedimento doloroso.The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical alterations of intravitreal uveal ablation. Thirteen irreversible blind canine eyes, presenting unilateral chronic glaucoma. All the glaucomatous eyes were submitted to intravitreal uveal ablation but the injection of 0.5ml of gentamicin sulfate solution (40mg/ml) associated with 0.3ml of dexametasone phosphate (4mg/ml) through the vitreous chamber. The oftalmic clinical variables were evaluated and classified in scores until 48 weeks after surgery. Clinical signs of pain, like apetite variations and body weight were also evaluated. Clinical signs of ocular discharge, blepharoespasm, quemosis, hifema and pigmentation, neovascularization, pannus and appetite variations and body weight did not show significant differences. The intravitreal uveal ablation reduced the conjunctival hyperemia, however caused increase in corneal opacity. The association of ablation with topic and sistemic antiflamatories was not a painful procedure

Liberação intraocular de ofloxacina associada a lente de contato biossintética em ceratite bacteriana experimental em cães

Avaliou-se a concentração de ofloxacina liberada por uma lente de contato de membrana de celulose biossintética, para tratamento de ceratite bacteriana experimental em cães, pela inoculação de Staphylococcus aureus intraestromal. Comparou-se o tratamento com a lente de contato biossintética impregnada com ofloxacina à terapia tópica convencional. Realizou-se avaliação microbiológica e dosagem de ofloxacina no humor aquoso por meio do método de cromatografia líquida de alto rendimento (HPLC). Houve diferença estatística na contagem de colônias bacterianas entre os olhos com ceratite e os demais grupos, no primeiro dia de coleta. O biomaterial, impregnado com ofloxacina, promoveu liberação gradual durante o período de avaliação, aos três e sete dias; no terceiro dia, o grupo tratado com a lente de contato obteve mediana de 3,72μg/mL, enquanto o grupo tratado com colírio resultou em 49,56μg/mL. Apesar do valor inferior, o grupo com lente de contato atingiu a concentração inibitória mínima, sendo eficaz no controle da infecção bacteriana.The concentration of ofloxacin released by contact lens made of biosynthetic cellulose membrane was evaluated for the treatment of experimental bacterial keratitis in dogs by intrastromal inoculation of Staphylococcus aureus. The biosynthetic contact lens impregnated with ofloxacin was compared with the conventional topical therapy. The microbiological evaluation and the determination of ofloxacin in aqueous humor were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was not statistical difference in the counting of bacterial colonies among the eyes with keratitis and other groups, on the first day of collection. The biomaterial, impregnated with ofloxacin, promoted gradual release during the evaluation period, at three and seven days; on the third day, the group treated with the contact lens obtained a median of 3.72μg/mL, while the group treated with eye drops resulted in 49.56μg/mL. Despite the lower value, the group with contact lens reached the minimum inhibitory concentration, which was effective in controlling the bacterial infection.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Can Music Reduce Stress and Anxiety in the Operating Room Team? Insights from a Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Italy Healthcare Services

Background. Music evokes positive emotions and reduces stress and anxiety. Operating room (OR) staff face various challenges which can lead to high levels of stress. The aim of the study is to assess whether listening to music during intraoperative phases improves the work environment by reducing anxiety and stress in the entire surgical team. Methods. A prospective observational study was conducted from February to September 2023, involving medical personnel, nursing staff, and nursing students. They were divided into two groups: Group 1 with music during surgical procedures, and Group 2 without music. Participants were administered two validated instruments: the Zung Anxiety Self-Assessment Scale (SAS) to measure anxiety, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule to assess emotions generating stress. Additional items were included for demographics, job satisfaction, and the organization method. Results. Music did not impact anxiety, but increased positive emotions while reducing negative ones. Music had an ancillary effect, highlighting the need for significant organizational interventions aimed at increasing operator satisfaction, including offering voluntary instead of mandatory assignments to nursing staff. Conclusions. Music appears to reduce stress in the intraoperative team when supported by a positive work environment in which assigned operators have chosen to work in the OR