Association between admission haematocrit and mortality among men with acute ischaemic stroke

Objective: Anaemia is associated with higher mortality among patients with non-stroke cardiovascular conditions; less is known regarding the relationship between anaemia and mortality among patients with acute ischaemic stroke. Methods: Medical records were abstracted for n=3965 veterans from 131 Veterans Health Administration facilities who were admitted with ischaemic stroke in fiscal year 2007. Haematocrit values within 24 hours of admission were classified as ≤27%, 28%-32%, 33%-37%, 38%-42%, 43%-47% or ≥48%. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between anaemia and in-hospital, 30-day, 6-month and 1-year mortality, adjusting for age, medical comorbidities, modified Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation-III and stroke severity. Impact factors were calculated to standardise comparisons between haematocrit tier and other covariates. Results: Among n=3750 patients included in the analysis, the haematocrit values were ≤27% in 2.1% (n=78), 28%-32% in 6.2% (n=234), 33%-37% in 17.9% (n=670), 38%-42% in 36.4% (n=1366), 43%-47% in 28.2% (n=1059) and ≥48% in 9.1% (n=343). Patients with haematocrit ≤27%, compared with patients in the 38%-42% range, were more likely to have died across all follow-up intervals, with statistically significant adjusted ORs (aORs) ranging from 2.5 to 3.5. Patients with polycythaemia (ie, haematocrit ≥48%) were at increased risk of in-hospital mortality (aOR=2.9; 95% CI 1.4 to 6.0), compared with patients with mid-range admission haematocrits. Pronounced differences between patients receiving and not receiving blood transfusion limited our ability to perform a propensity analysis. Impact factors in the 1-year mortality model were 0.46 (severe anaemia), 0.06 (cancer) and 0.018 (heart disease). Conclusions: Anaemia is independently associated with an increased risk of death throughout the first year post stroke; high haematocrit is associated with early poststroke mortality. Severe anaemia is associated with 1-year mortality to a greater degree than cancer or heart disease. These data cannot address the question of whether interventions targeting anaemia might improve patient outcomes

Long-term negative emotional outcomes of warzone TBI

Objective: Many veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although prior work has examined associations between TBI and development of psychi- atric syndromes, less is known about associations between TBI and component emotions constituting these syndromes, especially in the long term. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term emotional consequences of deployment-related TBI. Methods: As part of VA Cooperative Studies Program #566, we assessed a sample of n1⁄4456US Army soldiers prior to an index deployment to Iraq, and again an average of 8.3 years (SD1⁄42.4years) after their deployment for a long-term follow-up assessment. In this report, we used adjusted regression analyses to examine the relationship of deployment TBI to depression, anxiety, and stress symptom severity measured at the long-term follow-up assessment. A structured interview was used to determine TBI history; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, 21-item version (DASS-21) was used to determine emotional status at the follow-up evaluation. Results: Warzone TBI events, particularly when greater than mild in severity, were independently associated with depression, anx- iety, and stress severity at long-term follow-up, even after taking into account variance attributable to pre-deployment emotional distress and war-zone stress. Post-hoc analyses did not detect independent associations of either number of events or injury mechanism with outcomes. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potentially enduring and multi-faceted emotional effects of deployment TBI, underscor- ing the need for early assessment of negative affectivity in war- zone veterans reporting TBI

Long-term negative emotional outcomes of warzone TBI

Objective: Many veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). Although prior work has examined associations between TBI and development of psychi- atric syndromes, less is known about associations between TBI and component emotions constituting these syndromes, especially in the long term. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term emotional consequences of deployment-related TBI. Methods: As part of VA Cooperative Studies Program #566, we assessed a sample of n1⁄4456US Army soldiers prior to an index deployment to Iraq, and again an average of 8.3 years (SD1⁄42.4years) after their deployment for a long-term follow-up assessment. In this report, we used adjusted regression analyses to examine the relationship of deployment TBI to depression, anxiety, and stress symptom severity measured at the long-term follow-up assessment. A structured interview was used to determine TBI history; the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, 21-item version (DASS-21) was used to determine emotional status at the follow-up evaluation. Results: Warzone TBI events, particularly when greater than mild in severity, were independently associated with depression, anx- iety, and stress severity at long-term follow-up, even after taking into account variance attributable to pre-deployment emotional distress and war-zone stress. Post-hoc analyses did not detect independent associations of either number of events or injury mechanism with outcomes. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potentially enduring and multi-faceted emotional effects of deployment TBI, underscor- ing the need for early assessment of negative affectivity in war- zone veterans reporting TBI

Ethnic differences in respiratory impairment

Objective Spirometric Z scores by lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) rigorously account for age-related changes in lung function. Recently, the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) expanded LMS spirometric Z scores to multiple ethnicities. Hence, in aging populations, the GLI provides an opportunity to rigorously evaluate ethnic differences in respiratory impairment, including airflow limitation and restrictive pattern. Methods Using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including participants aged 40-80, we evaluated ethnic differences in GLI-defined respiratory impairment, including prevalence and associations with mortality and respiratory symptoms. Results Among 3506 white Americans, 1860 African Americans and 1749 Mexican Americans, the prevalence of airflow limitation was 15.1% (13.9% to 16.4%), 12.4% (10.7% to 14.0%) and 8.2% (6.7% to 9.8%), and restrictive pattern was 5.6% (4.6% to 6.5%), 8.0% 6.9% to 9.0%) and 5.7% (4.5% to 6.9%), respectively. Airflow limitation was associated with mortality in white Americans, African Americans and Mexican Americans - adjusted HR (aHR) 1.66 (1.23 to 2.25), 1.60 (1.09 to 2.36) and 1.80 (1.17 to 2.76), respectively, but associated with respiratory symptoms only in white Americans - adjusted OR (aOR) 2.15 (1.70 to 2.73). Restrictive pattern was associated with mortality but only in white Americans and African Americans - aHR 2.56 (1.84 to 3.55) and 3.23 (2.06 to 5.05), and associated with respiratory symptoms but only in white Americans and Mexican Americans-aOR 2.16 (1.51 to 3.07) and .12 (1.45 to 3.08), respectively. Conclusions In an aging population, we found ethnic differences in GLI-defined respiratory impairment. In particular, African Americans had high rates of respiratory impairment that were associated with mortality but not respiratory symptoms

The Paired Availability Design for Historical Controls

BACKGROUND: Although a randomized trial represents the most rigorous method of evaluating a medical intervention, some interventions would be extremely difficult to evaluate using this study design. One alternative, an observational cohort study, can give biased results if it is not possible to adjust for all relevant risk factors. METHODS: A recently developed and less well-known alternative is the paired availability design for historical controls. The paired availability design requires at least 10 hospitals or medical centers in which there is a change in the availability of the medical intervention. The statistical analysis involves a weighted average of a simple "before" versus "after" comparison from each hospital or medical center that adjusts for the change in availability. RESULTS: We expanded requirements for the paired availability design to yield valid inference. (1) The hospitals or medical centers serve a stable population. (2) Other aspects of patient management remain constant over time. (3) Criteria for outcome evaluation are constant over time. (4) Patient preferences for the medical intervention are constant over time. (5) For hospitals where the intervention was available in the "before" group, a change in availability in the "after group" does not change the effect of the intervention on outcome. CONCLUSION: The paired availability design has promise for evaluating medical versus surgical interventions, in which it is difficult to recruit patients to a randomized trial

Towards standard setting for patient-reported outcomes in the NHS homeopathic hospitals

We report findings from a pilot data collection study within a programme of quality assurance, improvement and development across all five homeopathic hospitals in the UK National Health Service (NHS).<p></p> <b>Aims</b> (1) To pilot the collection of clinical data in the homeopathic hospital outpatient setting, recording patient-reported outcome since first appointment; (2) to sample the range of medical complaints that secondary-care doctors treat using homeopathy, and thus identify the nature and complexity of complaints most frequently treated nationally; (3) to present a cross section of outcome scores by appointment number, including that for the most frequently treated medical complaints; (4) to explore approaches to standard setting for homeopathic practice outcome in patients treated at the homeopathic hospitals.<p></p> <b>Methods</b> A total of 51 medical practitioners took part in data collection over a 4-week period. Consecutive patient appointments were recorded under the headings: (1) date of first appointment in the current series; (2) appointment number; (3) age of patient; (4) sex of patient; (5) main medical complaint being treated; (6) whether other main medical complaint(s); (7) patient-reported change in health, using Outcome Related to Impact on Daily Living (ORIDL) and its derivative, the ORIDL Profile Score (ORIDL-PS; range, –4 to +4, where a score ≤−2 or ≥+2 indicates an effect on the quality of a patient's daily life); (8) receipt of other complementary medicine for their main medical complaint.<p></p> <b>Results</b> The distribution of patient age was bimodal: main peak, 49 years; secondary peak, 6 years. Male:female ratio was 1:3.5. Data were recorded on a total of 1797 individual patients: 195 first appointments, 1602 follow-ups (FUs). Size of clinical service and proportion of patients who attended more than six visits varied between hospitals. A total of 235 different medical complaints were reported. The 30 most commonly treated complaints were (in decreasing order of frequency): eczema; chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS); menopausal disorder; osteoarthritis; depression; breast cancer; rheumatoid arthritis; asthma; anxiety; irritable bowel syndrome; multiple sclerosis; psoriasis; allergy (unspecified); fibromyalgia; migraine; premenstrual syndrome; chronic rhinitis; headache; vitiligo; seasonal allergic rhinitis; chronic intractable pain; insomnia; ulcerative colitis; acne; psoriatic arthropathy; urticaria; ovarian cancer; attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); epilepsy; sinusitis. The proportion of patients with important co-morbidity was higher in those seen after visit 6 (56.9%) compared with those seen up to and including that point (40.7%; P < 0.001). The proportion of FU patients reporting ORIDL-PS ≥ +2 (improvement affecting daily living) increased overall with appointment number: 34.5% of patients at visit 2 and 59.3% of patients at visit 6, for example. Amongst the four most frequently treated complaints, the proportion of patients that reported ORIDL-PS ≥ +2 at visit numbers greater than 6 varied between 59.3% (CFS) and 73.3% (menopausal disorder).<p></p> <b>Conclusions</b> We have successfully piloted a process of national clinical data collection using patient-reported outcome in homeopathic hospital outpatients, identifying a wide range and complexity of medical complaints treated in that setting. After a series of homeopathy appointments, a high proportion of patients, often representing “effectiveness gaps” for conventional medical treatment, reported improvement in health affecting their daily living. These pilot findings are informing our developing programme of standard setting for homeopathic care in the hospital outpatient context

Receipt of cardiac screening does not influence 1-year post-cerebrovascular event mortality

Background: American Heart Association/American Stroke Association expert consensus guidelines recommend consideration of cardiac stress testing to screen for occult coronary heart disease (CHD) among patients with ischemic stroke/TIA who have a high-risk Framingham Cardiac Risk Score (FCRS). Whether this guideline is being implemented in routine clinical practice, and the association of its implementation with mortality, is less clear. Methods: Study participants were Veterans with stroke/TIA (n = 11,306) during fiscal year 2011 who presented to a VA Emergency Department or who were admitted. Patients were excluded (n = 6,915) based on prior CHD/angina/chest pain history, receipt of cardiac stress testing within 18 months prior to cerebrovascular event, death within 90 days of discharge, discharge to hospice, transfer to a non-VA acute care facility, or missing/unknown race. FCRS ≥20% was classified as high risk for CHD. ICD-9 and Common Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify receipt of any cardiac stress testing. Results: Among 4,391 eligible patients, 62.8% (n = 2,759) had FCRS ≥20%. Cardiac stress testing was performed infrequently and in similar proportion among high-risk (4.5% [123/2,759]) vs low/intermediate-risk (4.4% [72/1,632]) patients (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-1.10). Receipt of stress testing was not associated with reduced 1-year mortality (aOR 0.59, CI 0.26-1.30). Conclusions: In this observational cohort study of patients with cerebrovascular disease, cardiac screening was relatively uncommon and was not associated with 1-year mortality. Additional work is needed to understand the utility of CHD screening among high-risk patients with cerebrovascular disease

A systematic review of school-based sexual health interventions to prevent STI/HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

Background The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains of global significance and there is a need to target (a) the adolescent age-groups in which most new infections occur; and (b) sub-Saharan Africa where the greatest burden of the epidemic lies. A focused systematic review of school-based sexual health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa to prevent HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in this age group was therefore conducted. Methods Searches were conducted in Medline, Embase, Cinahl and PsychINFO according to agreed a priori criteria for studies published between 1986 and 2006. Further searches were conducted in UNAIDS and WHO (World Health Organization) websites, and 'Google'. Relevant journals were hand-searched and references cited in identified articles were followed up. Data extraction and quality assessment was carried out on studies selected for full text appraisal, and results were analysed and presented in narrative format. Results Some 1,020 possible titles and abstracts were found, 23 full text articles were critically appraised, and 12 articles (10 studies) reviewed, reflecting the paucity of published studies conducted relative to the magnitude of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Knowledge and attitude-related outcomes were the most associated with statistically significant change. Behavioural intentions were more difficult to change and actual behaviour change was least likely to occur. Behaviour change in favour of abstinence and condom use appeared to be greatly influenced by pre-intervention sexual history. Conclusion There is a great need in sub-Saharan Africa for well-evaluated and effective school-based sexual health interventions