A real-time electronic symptom monitoring system for patients after discharge following surgery: a pilot study in cancer-related surgery

Background: Advances in peri-operative care of surgical oncology patients result in shorter hospital stays. Earlier discharge may bring benefits, but complications can occur while patients are recovering at home. Electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) systems may enhance remote, real-time symptom monitoring and detection of complications after hospital discharge, thereby improving patient safety and outcomes. Evidence of the effectiveness of ePRO systems in surgical oncology is lacking. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a real-time electronic symptom monitoring system for patients after discharge following cancer-related upper gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: A pilot study in two UK hospitals included patients who had undergone cancer-related upper gastrointestinal surgery. Participants completed the ePRO symptom-report at discharge, twice in the first week and weekly post-discharge. Symptom-report completeness, system actions, barriers to using the ePRO system and technical performance were examined. The ePRO surgery system is an online symptom-report that allows clinicians to view patient symptom-reports within hospital electronic health records and was developed as part of the eRAPID project. Clinically derived algorithms provide patients with tailored self-management advice, prompts to contact a clinician or automated clinician alerts depending on symptom severity. Interviews with participants and clinicians determined the acceptability of the ePRO system to support patients and their clinical management during recovery. Results: Ninety-one patients were approached, of which 40 consented to participate (27 male, mean age 64 years). Symptom-report response rates were high (range 63–100%). Of 197 ePRO completions analysed, 76 (39%) triggered self-management advice, 72 (36%) trigged advice to contact a clinician, 9 (5%) triggered a clinician alert and 40 (20%) did not require advice. Participants found the ePRO system reassuring, providing timely information and advice relevant to supporting their recovery. Clinicians regarded the system as a useful adjunct to usual care, by signposting patients to seek appropriate help and enhancing their understanding of patients’ experiences during recovery. Conclusion: Use of the ePRO system for the real-time, remote monitoring of symptoms in patients recovering from cancer-related upper gastrointestinal surgery is feasible and acceptable. A definitive randomised controlled trial is needed to evaluate the impact of the system on patients’ wellbeing after hospital discharge

Selective Enhancement of Donor Hematopoietic Cell Engraftment by the CXCR4 Antagonist AMD3100 in a Mouse Transplantation Model

The interaction between stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) with CXCR4 chemokine receptors plays an important role in hematopoiesis following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We examined the efficacy of post transplant administration of a specific CXCR4 antagonist (AMD3100) in improving animal survival and in enhancing donor hematopoietic cell engraftment using a congeneic mouse transplantation model. AMD3100 was administered subcutaneously at 5 mg/kg body weight 3 times a week beginning at day +2 post-transplant. Post-transplant administration of AMD3100 significantly improves animal survival. AMD3100 reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production. Furthermore, post transplant administration of AMD3100 selectively enhances donor cell engraftment and promotes recovery of all donor cell lineages (myeloid cells, T and B lymphocytes, erythrocytes and platelets). This enhancement results from a combined effect of increased marrow niche availability and greater cell division induced by AMD3100. Our studies shed new lights into the biological roles of SDF-1/CXCR4 interaction in hematopoietic stem cell engraftment following transplantation and in transplant-related mortality. Our results indicate that AMD3100 provides a novel approach for enhancing hematological recovery following transplantation, and will likely benefit patients undergoing transplantation

Detection, synthesis and absolute configuration of (+)-nortaylorione, a new terpene from Artemisia annua

Nortaylorione a new nor-sesquiterpene, was identified among minor components of Artemisia annua (hybrid plants) essential oil. Its relative and absolute configurations were determined by GC and GC/MS equipped with a chiral column and coinjecting the essential oil with synthetic standards (racemic and homochiral), obtained in a few steps from commercial reagents. Pauson-Khand reaction was used as the key reaction in both synthetic pathways. The new natural product, named (+)-nortaylorione, is the (1'S)-cis-2-[2',2'-dimethyI-3'-(3 ''-butanon-l ''-yl)-cyclopropyl]2-cyclopenten-1-one. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.8111833183

Fístula pancreática após duodenopancreatectomia: correlação dos aspectos intra-operatórios e histologicos do pâncreas

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a relação entre a ocorrência de fístula pancreática pós-anastomose pancreatojejunal, em doentes submetidos à duodenopancreatectomia por neoplasia maligna periampolar, com aspectos histológicos de fibrose e inflamação encontrados no tecido pancreático e com o calibre do ducto pancreático principal. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo interessando doentes que foram submetidos ao tratamento com ressecção cirúrgica. Verificou-se o índice de fístulas pancreáticas encontradas. Classificou-se de acordo com a histologia da fibrose e da inflamação pancreática. RESULTADOS: Identificaram-se 77 doentes, com média de idade de 57,6 anos, sendo 62,4% do sexo masculino. De acordo com o tipo de operação realizada, 66,3% constituíram-se em gastroduodenopancreatectomia e 33,7% em duodenopancreatectomia com preservação do piloro. Em relação ao número de fístulas diagnosticadas, identificou-se que 23,4% doentes apresentaram tal complicação pós-operatória, sendo que em 66,7% a causa era neoplasia de papila. Achados macroscópicos intraoperatórios, identificou-se classificação da textura pancreática, tida como normal, em 85,8% e, quanto ao calibre do ducto principal pancreático, foi encontrada média de 4,9mm. Houve relação importante entre a consistência endurecida do coto pancreático e a ausência da fístula. Nos doentes com tecido normal ou amolecido, o índice de fístula foi 25,4%. Quanto ao diâmetro ductal, identificou-se (p <0,05) maior número de deiscências da anastomose pancreática na ausência de dilatação ductal. Evidenciou-se que doentes com valores médios do diâmetro de ducto de 5,4mm (76,7%) não mostraram esta complicação. CONCLUSÃO: A presença de fibrose e de dilatação ductal habitualmente coexistem e estão relacionadas à menor porcentagem de fístulas enteropancreáticas

Severe postoperative complications adversely affect long-term survival after r1 resection for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Survival after pancreatic head adenocarcinoma surgery is determined by tumor characteristics, resection margins, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Few studies have analyzed the long-term impact of postoperative morbidity. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of postoperative complications on long-term survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer. METHODS: Of 294 consecutive pancreatectomies performed between January 2000 and July 2011, a total of 101 pancreatic head resections for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative complications were classified on a five-grade validated scale and were correlated with long-term survival. Grade IIIb to IVb complications were defined as severe. RESULTS: Postoperative mortality and morbidity were 5 and 57 %, respectively. Severe postoperative complications occurred in 16 patients (16 %). Median overall survival was 1.4 years. Significant prognostic factors of survival were the N-stage of the tumor (median survival 3.4 years for N0 vs. 1.3 years for N1, p = 0.018) and R status of the resection (median survival 1.6 years for R0 vs. 1.2 years for R1, p = 0.038). Median survival after severe postoperative complications was decreased from 1.9 to 1.2 years (p = 0.06). Median survival for N0 or N1 tumor or after R0 resection was not influenced by the occurrence and severity of complications, but patients with a R1 resection and severe complications showed a worsened median survival of 0.6 vs. 2.0 years without severe complications (p = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative severe morbidity per se had no impact on long-term survival except in patients with R1 tumor resection. These results suggest that severe complications after R1 resection predict poor outcome

STEPS TOWARD DETERMINATION OF THE SIZE AND STRUCTURE OF THE BROAD-LINE REGION IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI .5. VARIABILITY OF THE ULTRAVIOLET CONTINUUM AND EMISSION-LINES OF NGC-3783

We report on the result of intensive ultraviolet spectral monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3783. The nucleus of NGC 3783 was observed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite on a regular basis for a total of 7 months, once every 4 days for the first 172 days and once every other day for the final 50 days. Significant variability was observed in both continuum and emission-line fluxes. The light curves for the continuum fluxes exhibited two well-defined local minima or ''dips,'' the first lasting less than or similar to 20 days and the second less than or similar to 4 days, with additional episodes of relatively rapid flickering of approximately the same amplitude. As in the case of NGC 5548 (the only other Seyfert galaxy that has been the subject of such an intensive, sustained monitoring effort), the largest continuum variations were seen at the shortest wavelengths, so that the continuum became ''harder'' when brighter. The variations in the continuum occurred simultaneously at all wavelengths (Delta t <2 days). Generally, the amplitude of variability of the emission lines was lower than (or comparable to) that of the continuum. Apart from Mg II (which varied little) and N V (which is relatively weak and badly blended with Ly alpha), the light curves of the emission lines are very similar to the continuum light curves, in each case with a small systematic delay or ''lag'' As for NGC 5548, the highest ionization lines seem to respond with shorter lags than the lower ionization lines. The lags found for NGC 3783 are considerably shorter than those obtained for NGC 5548, with values of(formally) similar to 0 days for He II + O III], and similar to 4 days for Ly alpha and C IV. The data further suggest lags of similar to 4 days for Si IV + O IV] and 8-30 days for Si III] + C III]. Mg II lagged the 1460 Angstrom continuum by similar to 9 days, although this result depends on the method of measuring the line flux and may in fact be due to variability of the underlying Fe II lines. Correlation analysis further shows that the power density spectrum contains substantial unresolved power over timescales of less than or similar to 2 days, and that the character of the continuum variability may change with time