Predicting mortality after acute coronary syndromes in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To assess the accuracy of Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores in predicting mortality at 6 months for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to investigate how it might be improved. Methods Data were obtained on 481 849 patients with acute coronary syndrome admitted to UK hospitals between January 2003 and June 2013 from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) database. We compared risk of death between patients with COPD and those without COPD at 6 months, adjusting for predicted risk of death. We then assessed whether several modifications improved the accuracy of the GRACE score for people with COPD. Results The risk of death after adjusting for GRACE score predicted that risk of death was higher for patients with COPD than that for other patients (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.33). Adding smoking into the GRACE score model did not improve accuracy for patients with COPD. Either adding COPD into the model (relative risk (RR) 1.00, 0.94 to 1.02) or multiplying the GRACE score by 1.3 resulted in better performance (RR 0.99, 0.96 to 1.01). Conclusions GRACE scores underestimate risk of death for people with COPD. A more accurate prediction of risk of death can be obtained by adding COPD into the GRACE score equation, or by multiplying the GRACE score predicted risk of death by 1.3 for people with COPD. This means that one third of patients with COPD currently classified as low risk should be classified as moderate risk, and could be considered for more aggressive early treatment after non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina

Assessing the healthcare resource use associated with inappropriate prescribing of inhaled corticosteroids for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in GOLD groups A or B:an observational study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)

Abstract Background Recent recommendations from the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) position inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) for use in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients experiencing exacerbations (≥ 2 or ≥ 1 requiring hospitalisation); i.e. GOLD groups C and D. However, it is known that ICS is frequently prescribed for patients with less severe COPD. Potential drivers of inappropriate ICS use may be historical clinical guidance or a belief among physicians that intervening early with ICS would improve outcomes and reduce resource use. The objective of this study was to compare healthcare resource use in the UK for COPD patients in GOLD groups A and B (0 or 1 exacerbation not resulting in hospitalisation) who have either been prescribed an ICS-containing regimen or a non-ICS-containing regimen. Methods Linked data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database were used. For the study period (1 July 2005 to 30 June 2015) a total 4009 patients met the inclusion criteria; 1745 receiving ICS-containing therapy and 2264 receiving non-ICS therapy. Treatment groups were propensity score-matched to account for potential confounders in the decision to prescribe ICS, leaving 1739 patients in both treatment arms. Resource use was assessed in terms of frequency of healthcare practitioner (HCP) interactions and rescue therapy prescribing. Treatment acquisition costs were not assessed. Results Results showed no benefit associated with the addition of ICS, with numerically higher all-cause HCP interactions (72,802 versus 69,136; adjusted relative rate: 1.07 [p = 0.061]) and rescue therapy prescriptions (24,063 versus 21,163; adjusted relative rate: 1.05 [p = 0.212]) for the ICS-containing group compared to the non-ICS group. Rate ratios favoured the non-ICS group for eight of nine outcomes assessed. Outcomes were similar for subgroup analyses surrounding potential influential parameters, including patients with poorer lung function (FEV1 <  50% predicted), one prior exacerbation or elevated blood eosinophils. Conclusions These data suggest that ICS use in GOLD A and B COPD patients is not associated with a benefit in terms of healthcare resource use compared to non-ICS bronchodilator-based therapy; using ICS according to GOLD recommendations may offer an opportunity for improving patient care and reducing resource use

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the risk of stroke: a systematic review protocol

Introduction There is good evidence to suggest that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases the risk of ischaemic heart disease, in particular myocardial infarction (MI). The relationship between stroke and COPD, however, is not as well established, and studies conducted to date have generated conflicting results. Methods and analysis MEDLINE and Embase will be searched for relevant articles using a prespecified search strategy. We will target observational studies conducted in the general population that employ either a longitudinal cohort or case–control study design to estimate ORs, HRs or incident rate ratios for the association between COPD and a subsequent first stroke. Both stages of screening, title and abstract followed by full-text screening, will be conducted independently by two reviewers. The Population, Exposure, Comparator, Outcomes, Study characteristics (PECOS) framework will be used to systematise the process of extracting data from those studies meeting our selection criteria. Study quality will be assessed using an adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa risk of bias tool. The data extraction and the risk of bias assessment will also be conducted in duplicate. A meta-analysis will be considered if there is sufficient homogeneity across selected studies or groups of studies. If a meta-analysis is not justified, a narrative synthesis will be conducted. Selected Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria will be used to assess the quality of the cumulative evidence. Dissemination Currently ranking second and fourth in the list of global causes of mortality, respectively, stroke and COPD are important non-communicable diseases. With this review, we hope to clarify some of the current uncertainty that surrounds the COPD–stroke relationship and in turn improve understanding of the nature of the role of COPD in comorbid stroke

COPD and acute myocardial infarction: effects on presentation, management and outcomes

Cardiovascular disease is a common cause of death in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is a key target for improving outcomes. However, there are concerns that patients with COPD may not have enjoyed the same mortality reductions from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in recent decades as the general population. This has generated interest in how COPD patients present with AMI and how their management and outcomes compare to non-COPD patients. The evidence points to an increased risk of death after AMI in patients with COPD, but it is unclear to what extent this is attributable to COPD itself or to modifiable factors including under-treatment with guideline-recommended interventions and drugs. We review the evidence for differences between COPD and non-COPD patients in terms of the presentation of AMI, its treatment and outcomes both in-hospital and in the longer term

Ergaenzende Untersuchungen zur Schwingfestigkeit ausschnittgeschweisster Profile

TIB: RA 2207(200) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman