Results of the standard set forpulmonary sarcoidosis: Feasibility and multicentre outcomes

Our study presents findings on a previously developed standard set of clinical outcome data for pulmonary sarcoidosis patients. We aimed to assess whether changes in outcome varied between the different centres and to evaluate the feasibility of collecting the standard set retrospectively. This retrospective observational comparative benchmark study included six interstitial lung disease expert centres based in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and the USA. The standard set of outcome measures included 1) mortality, 2) changes in pulmonary function (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide), 3) soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) change, 4) weight changes, 5) quality-of-life (QoL) measures, 6) osteoporosis and 7) clinical outcome status (COS). Data collection was considered feasible if the data were collected in ⩾80% of all patients. 509 patients were included in the retrospective cohort. In total six patients died, with a mean survival of 38±23.4 months after the diagnosis. Centres varied in mean baseline FVC, ranging from 110 (95% CI 92–124)% predicted to 99 (95% CI 97–123)% pred. Mean baseline body mass index (BMI) of patients in the different centres varied between 27 (95% CI 23.6–29.4) kg·m−2 and 31.8 (95% CI 28.1–35.6) kg·m−2. 310 (60.9%) patients were still on systemic therapy 2 years after the diagnosis. It was feasible to measure mortality, changes in pulmonary function, weight changes and COS. It is not (yet) feasible to retrospectively collect sIL-2R, osteoporosis and QoL data internationally. This study shows that data collection for the standard set of outcome measures for pulmonary sarcoidosis was feasible for four out of seven outcome measures. Trends in pulmonary function and BMI were similar for different hospitals when comparing different practices

Cost-effectiveness analyses: applications in surgery and cardiology

In de klinisch wetenschappelijk onderzoek speelt de economische analyse een steeds grotere rol. De economische analyse kan niet los worden gezien van het klinische onderzoek. In dit proefschrift zijn de kosten artikelen dan ook zoveel mogelijk geflankeerd door het klinische onderzoek. Het belangrijkste onderwerp van dit proefschrift is de economische analyse van diagnostische, logistieke en behandelprocessen. In de introductie staat beschreven hoe een economische analyse moet worden uitgevoerd. Daarna beslaat het proefschrift twee delen: een chirurgisch deel (waaronder gastrointestinale en vasculaire chirurgie) en een (interventie-) cardiologisch deel. Het gastrointestinale deel beschrijft de studie naar selectieve darmdecontaminatie bij patiënten die een electieve gastro-enterologische chirurgie ondergingen. Het vasculaire deel beschrijft onderzoek naar de beeldvormende technieken bij patiënten met perifeer vaatlijden, en een endovasculaire benadering versus open benadering bij patiënten met een acuut geruptureerde aneurysma van de abdominale aorta. Het cardiologische deel bevat onderzoek naar de mogelijkheid om patiënten met een electieve percutane coronair angiografie dezelfde dag naar huis te sturen, versus een overnachting na de procedure. Daarnaast een economische evaluatie van een klinisch onderzoek naar vroeg invasieve versus selectieve (laat) invasieve percutane coronair angiografie bij patiënten met een non-ST-segment elevatie coronair syndroom

ESCAPE-HCM study: Evaluation of SCreening of Asymptomatic PatiEnts with Hypertrophic CardioMyopathy

The ESCAPE-HCM study is a prospective followup study of asymptomatic mutation-carrying relatives of HCM patients aiming at optimising anamnestic and cardiological evaluation and surveillance for this group. All relatives undergo regular cardiological evaluation and risk status is prospectively estimated, according to known HCM-related risk factors for sudden cardiac death. (Neth Heart J 2007;15:216-20.17612686

Systematic review of perioperative selective decontamination of the digestive tract in elective gastrointestinal surgery

Studies on selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) in elective gastrointestinal surgery have shown decreased rates of postoperative infection and anastomotic leakage. However, the prophylactic use of perioperative SDD in elective gastrointestinal surgery is not generally accepted. A systematic review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was conducted to compare the effect of perioperative SDD with systemic antibiotics (SDD group) with systemic antibiotic prophylaxis alone (control group), using MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Endpoints included postoperative infection, anastomotic leakage, and in-hospital or 30-day mortality. Eight RCTs published between 1988 and 2011, with a total of 1668 patients (828 in the SDD group and 840 in the control group), were included in the meta-analysis. The total number of patients with infection (reported in 5 trials) was 77 (19.2 per cent) of 401 in the SDD group, compared with 118 (28.2 per cent) of 418 in the control group (odds ratio 0.58, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.42 to 0.82; P = 0.002). The incidence of anastomotic leakage was significantly lower in the SDD group: 19 (3.3 per cent) of 582 patients versus 44 (7.4 per cent) of 595 patients in the control group (odds ratio 0.42, 0.24 to 0.73; P = 0.002). This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that a combination of perioperative SDD and perioperative intravenous antibiotics in elective gastrointestinal surgery reduces the rate of postoperative infection including anastomotic leakage compared with use of intravenous antibiotics alon

Nerve Sparing during Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Increases the Risk of Ipsilateral Positive Surgical Margins

Contains fulltext : 220508.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access)PURPOSE: Available published studies evaluating the association between nerve sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and risk of ipsilateral positive surgical margins were subject to selection bias. In this study we overcome these limitations by using multivariable regression analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer at 4 institutions from 2013 to 2018 were included in the study. A multilevel logistic random intercept model, including covariates on patient level and side specific factors on prostate lobe level, was used to evaluate the association between nerve sparing and risk of ipsilateral positive margins. RESULTS: A total of 5,148 prostate lobes derived from 2,574 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy were analyzed. Multivariable analysis showed nerve sparing was an independent predictor for ipsilateral positive margins (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.82). Other significant predictors for positive margins were prostate specific antigen density (OR 3.64, 95% CI 2.36-5.90) and side specific covariates including highest preoperative ISUP (International Society of Urological Pathology) biopsy grade (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.13-2.53; OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.13-2.69; OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.39-3.59 and OR 4.43, 95% CI 3.17-10.12 for ISUP grade 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively), presence of extraprostatic extension on magnetic resonance imaging (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.03-1.91) and percentage of positive cores on systematic biopsy (OR 3.82, 95% CI 2.50-5.86). CONCLUSIONS: Nerve sparing was associated with an increased risk of ipsilateral positive surgical margins. The increased risk of positive margins should be considered when counseling patients who opt for nerve sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy