The latest medical research on Hospital

The research magnet gathers the latest research from around the web, based on your specialty area. Below you will find a sample of some of the most recent articles from reputable medical journals about hospital gathered by our medical AI research bot.

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Reducing Chronic Opioid Use: Long-term Impacts of Enhanced Recovery after Mastectomy Protocols.

Annals of Surgery

This study investigates Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) protocols' impact on long-term opioid and sedative use following mastectomy with or without implant-based breast reconstruction (IBBR).

ERAS® protocols for patients undergoing mastectomy with or without IBBR are associated with decreased length of stay, increased rate of same-day discharge, decreased postoperative pain, and decreased postoperative opioid requirements. However, less is known about their effect on opioid and sedative use beyond 90 days after surgery.

A retrospective review of all patients undergoing mastectomy with or without IBBR at a single institution between January 2013 and December 2019. Mastectomy ERAS® protocols were implemented in February 2017, creating two groups: pre-ERAS® and ERAS®. Baseline characteristics and prevalence of chronic opioid and sedative use were compared. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression predicted factors associated with increased odds of chronic opioid and sedative use.

756 patients were evaluated: 405 pre-ERAS® and 351 ERAS®. Post-ERAS®, chronic opioid use decreased in opioid-naïve (40% vs. 30%, P=0.024) and opioid-tolerant patients (58% vs. 37%, P=0.002), with no increase in chronic sedative use. There were decreased odds of chronic opioid use for all ERAS® patients (OR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.42-0.76)), and of IBBR patients, those receiving subcutaneous implants (OR=0.31, 95% CI: 0.20-0.48). There was increased chronic opioid-use odds if undergoing bilateral surgery (OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.14-2.08), two-stage reconstruction (OR=9.78, 95% CI: 5.94-16.09), and for patients with higher PACU pain scores (OR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.03-1.14) or >150 discharge OMEs (OR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.48-4.68).

ERAS® protocols for mastectomy patients with or without IBR are associated with decreases in chronic opioid use, without concomitant increases in chronic sedative use.

Early Experience with EndoRobotic Submucosal Dissection (ERSD): Pathologic and Short-term Outcomes in the First 28 Patients.

Annals of Surgery

To evaluate the safety and feasibility of single-port endorobotic submucosal dissection (ERSD) using the Da Vinci SP platform for the management of rectal neoplasms.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) offers a potential organ-sparing treatment for advanced colorectal neoplasms but demands high technical skill and a steep learning curve. Advances in semiflexible robotic platforms, such as the Da Vinci SP, promise to simplify this procedure, potentially offering improved outcomes for patients with benign rectal neoplasms.

A retrospective analysis of 28 patients who underwent ERSD using the Da Vinci SP platform between 2020 and 2023 was performed. Patient demographics, lesion characteristics, procedure details, outcomes, and complications were reviewed. The primary endpoint was successful en-bloc resection.

The cohort had a median age of 60.5 years and a median BMI of 28.2 kg/m², predominantly male(67.8%) with ASA categories 2 or 3(82%). Lesions had a median size of 38 mm and were located a median of 9 cm from the anal verge. The median procedure time was 87.5 minutes. En-bloc resection was achieved in all cases(100%), with no intraoperative complications or mortality. One patient experienced urinary retention, and one had late bleeding requiring blood transfusion. Pathology outcomes included 46.4% tubulovillous adenomas, 21.4% adenocarcinomas, and high-grade dysplasia in 53.6% of patients.

Single-port ERSD using the Da Vinci SP platform is safe and feasible for the management of colorectal neoplasia, ensuring a high rate of en-bloc resection. It potentially offers advantages over conventional ESD, including shorter dissection times, although further studies are necessary for a definitive comparison.

Low back pain management in primary healthcare: findings from a scoping review on models of care.

BMJ Open

Models of care (MoCs) describe evidence-informed healthcare that should be delivered to patients. Several MoCs have been implemented for low back pain (LBP) to reduce evidence-to-practice gaps and increase the effectiveness and sustainability of healthcare services.

To synthesise research evidence regarding core characteristics and key common elements of MoCs implemented in primary healthcare for the management of LBP.

Data extraction was carried out independently by two researchers and included a summary of the studies, the identification of the MoCs and respective key elements, concerning levels of care, settings, health professionals involved, type of care delivered and core components of the interventions. Findings were investigated through a descriptive qualitative content analysis using a deductive approach.

29 studies reporting 11 MoCs were included. All MoCs were implemented in high-income countries and had clear objectives. Ten MoCs included a stratified care approach. The assessment of LBP patients typically occurred in primary healthcare while care delivery usually took place in community-based settings or outpatient clinics. Care provided by general practitioners and physiotherapists was reported in all MoCs. Education (n=10) and exercise (n=9) were the most common health interventions. However, intervention content, follow-ups and discharge criteria were not fully reported.

This study examines the features of MoCs for LBP, highlighting that research is in its early stages and stressing the need for better reporting to fill gaps in care delivery and implementation. This knowledge is crucial for researchers, clinicians and decision-makers in assessing the applicability and transferability of MoCs to primary healthcare settings.

Personalised functional imaging-guided multitarget continuous theta burst stimulation for post-stroke aphasia: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BMJ Open

The study has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05957445).

This is a prospective, multicentre, double-blind, two-arm parallel-group, sham-controlled randomised trial. The study will include a total of 60 participants who will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the active cTBS group or the sham cTBS group. Using precision resting-state functional MRI for each participant, we will map personalised language networks and design personalised targets in the inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus. Participants will undergo a 3-week cTBS intervention targeting the three personalised targets, coupled with speech and language therapy. The primary outcome is the change in the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised aphasia quotient score among participants after a 3-week treatment. Secondary outcomes include Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination severity ratings, Token Test and the Chinese-version of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale 39-generic version.

Reasons for unsuccessful recruitment of children with atopic dermatitis in primary care in the Netherlands to a cohort study with an embedded pragmatic, randomised controlled open-label trial: a survey.

BMJ Open

The Rotterdam Eczema Study was an observational cohort study with an embedded pragmatic randomised controlled open-label trial. It was conducted in children with atopic dermatitis (AD) in the Dutch primary care system. The objective of the trial was to determine whether a potent topical corticosteroid (TCS) is more effective than a low-potency TCS.

We are aiming to communicate transparently about the poor recruitment for the trial part and to explore the reasons why recruitment was weak.

Descriptive statistics were used to present the baseline characteristics of participants in the trial and the results of the survey.

In total, 367 patients were included in the cohort. Of these, 32 were randomly assigned to a trial treatment; they had a median age of 4.0 years (IQR 2.0-9.8). A total of 69 of the 86 children (80.2%) who could participate in the survey responded. 39 (56.5%) suffered a flare-up during the follow-up (making them potentially eligible for inclusion in the trial). 26 out of 39 (66.7%) increased their use of an emollient and/or TCS themselves. Only 12 of the 39 (30.7%) contacted their general practitioner (GP) as instructed in the study protocol, but 8 out of these 12 did not meet the inclusion criteria for the trial.

The main reason why cohort participants did not take part in the trial was that they did not contact their GPs when they experienced an AD flare-up. Furthermore, the majority of patients who contacted their GPs did not match the inclusion criteria of the trial. We expect that the lessons learnt from this study will be useful when developing future studies of children with AD in primary care.

Prognostic factors for the development of upper limb dysfunctions after breast cancer: the UPLIFT-BC prospective longitudinal cohort study protocol.

BMJ Open

NCT05297591.

A prospective longitudinal cohort study, running from 1-week pre-surgery to 6 months post-local cancer treatment, is performed in a cohort of 250 women diagnosed with primary breast cancer. Different potentially prognostic factors to UL dysfunctions, covering body functions and structures, environmental and personal factors of the ICF, are assessed pre-surgically and at different time points post-surgery. The primary aim is to investigate the prognostic value of these factors at 1-month post-surgery for subjective UL function (ie, QuickDASH) at 6 months post-cancer treatment, that is, 6 months post-radiotherapy or post-surgery (T3), depending on the individuals' cancer treatment trajectory. In this, factors with relevant prognostic value pre-surgery are considered as well. Similar analyses are performed with an objective measure for UL function (ie, accelerometry) and a composite score of the combination of subjective and objective UL function. Second, in the subgroup of participants who receive radiotherapy, the prognostic value of the same factors is explored at 1-month post-radiotherapy and 6 months post-surgery. A forward stepwise selection strategy is used to obtain these multivariable prognostic models.

PRESOLRE: study protocol for a primary school-based, cluster randomised controlled trial of three sun exposure risk prevention strategies on Reunion Island.

BMJ Open

NCT05367180.

PRESOLRE is an interventional, open-label, cluster-randomised controlled trial, in four parallel arms, that is being conducted throughout 2022-2023 on Reunion Island. The trial design assumes an escalation interventional effect using: first, a control arm without proposed intervention (arm 1); second, an arm whose classes are encouraged to use the validated educational programme 'Living With the Sun' (LWS) (arm 2); third, an arm whose classes are encouraged to use both 'LWS' combined with 'Mission Soleil Réunion's sun protection awareness programme (arm 3); fourth, an arm benefiting from an intervention similar to arm 3, combined with the distribution of hats, sunglasses and sun creams (arm 4). In all, 1780 pupils from 18 classes of 20 pupils, on average, will be included. Randomisation applies to the classes of pupils (so defined as clusters). The primary outcome is based on the proportion of correct answers to the knowledge questions after the awareness programme, compared between the four arms using a linear mixed model with random intercept.

Effect of a 3D-printed reconstruction automated matching system for selecting the size of a left double-lumen tube: a study protocol for a prospective randomised controlled trial.

BMJ Open

NCT06258954.

This is a prospective, single-centre, double-blind randomised controlled trial. In total, 200 patients scheduled for lung resection using a left DLT will be randomly allocated to the 3D group or the control group at a 1:1 ratio. A 3DRACS will be used for the 3D group to determine the size of the DLT, while in the case of the control group, the size of the DLT will be determined according to patient height and sex. The primary outcome is the success rate of placement of the left DLT without fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FOB). The secondary outcomes include the following: successful intubation time, degree of pulmonary atrophy, grade of airway injury, oxygenation during one-lung ventilation, postoperative sore throat and hoarseness, and number of times FOB is used.

Coproduction of accessible digital mental health supports in partnership with young people from marginalised backgrounds: a scoping review protocol.

BMJ Open

This scoping review protocol has been registered with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/9xhgv).

The scoping review uses Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols Extension for Scoping Reviews. From 22-24 October 2023, PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, ASSIA, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane database, Embase, Google Scholar, ProQuest, OAIster and BASE will be systematically searched. Papers from 2021 onwards with a range of study designs and evidence that illustrate engagement with marginalised young people (aged 16-25) in the design, implementation and evaluation of digital technologies for young people's mental health will be considered for inclusion. At least two reviewers will screen full texts and chart data. The results of this review will be summarised quantitatively through numerical counts of included literature and qualitatively through a narrative synthesis.

Comparison of three diagnostic strategies for suspicion of pulmonary embolism: planar ventilation-perfusion scan (V/Q), CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and single photon emission CT ventilation-perfusion scan (SPECT V/Q): a protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

BMJ Open

NCT02983760.

We will include a total of 3672 patients with suspected PE requiring chest imaging, randomised into three different groups, each using a different diagnostic strategy based on SPECT V/Q, CTPA and planar V/Q scan. Randomisation will be unbalanced (2:1:1), with twice as many patients in SPECT V/Q arm (n=1836) as in CTPA and planar V/Q arms (n=918 in each). Our primary objective will be to determine whether a diagnostic strategy based on SPECT V/Q is non-inferior to previously validated strategies in terms of diagnostic exclusion safety as assessed by the 3-month risk of thromboembolism in patients with a negative diagnostic workup. Secondary outcomes will be the proportion of patients diagnosed with PE in each arm, patients requiring additional tests, the incidence of major and clinically relevant non-major bleeding and the incidence and cause of death in each arm.

Social support in maintaining mental health and quality of life among community-dwelling older people with functional limitations in Malaysia: a population-based cross-sectional study.

BMJ Open

This study aimed to examine the mediation role of perceived social support in the relationship between functional limitations, depressive symptoms and quality of life among older people in Malaysia.

Functional limitations were defined as personal activities of daily living (PADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), tested in separate paths in all analyses. PADL was measured using the Barthel Index, while IADL was measured using the Lawton and Brody scale. Perceived social support, depressive symptoms and quality of life were measured using the Duke Social Support Index, Geriatric Depression Scale-14 and Control, Autonomy, Self-Realisation and Pleasure-19 tools. We used mediation analysis through structural equation modelling to explore the role of perceived social support.

Perceived social support mediated the relationship between PADL and IADL with depressive symptoms, with the indirect effects at -0.079 and -0.103, respectively (p<0.001). Similarly, perceived social support mediated the relationship between PADL and IADL with quality of life, with the indirect effects at 0.238 and 0.301, respectively (p<0.001). We performed serial multiple mediation analysis and found that perceived social support and depressive symptoms mediated the path between PADL and IADL with quality of life, with the indirect effects at 0.598 and 0.747, respectively (p<0.001). The relationship between functional limitations and all outcomes remained significant in all mediation analyses.

The present study provides evidence that perceived social support relieves the influence of functional limitations on depressive symptoms and declining quality of life among older people. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a social support system to improve the overall well-being of older people.

Risk-adjusted trend in national inpatient fall rates observed from 2011 to 2019 in acute care hospitals in Switzerland: a repeated multicentre cross-sectional study.

BMJ Open

This study aimed to investigate whether a significant trend regarding inpatient falls in Swiss acute care hospitals between 2011 and 2019 could be confirmed on a national level, and whether the trend persists after risk adjustment for patient-related fall risk factors.

Whether a patient had fallen in the hospital was retrospectively determined on the survey day by asking patients the following question: Have you fallen in this institution in the last 30 days?

Based on data from 110 892 patients from 222 Swiss hospitals, a national inpatient fall rate of 3.7% was determined over the 9 survey years. A significant linear decreasing trend (p=0.004) was observed using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. After adjusting for patient-related fall risk factors in a two-level random intercept logistic regression model, a significant non-linear decreasing trend was found at the national level.

A significant decrease in fall rates in Swiss hospitals, indicating an improvement in the quality of care provided, could be confirmed both descriptively and after risk adjustment. However, the non-linear trend, that is, an initial decrease in inpatient falls that flattens out over time, also indicates a possible future increase in fall rates. Monitoring of falls in hospitals should be maintained at the national level. Risk adjustment accounts for the observed increase in patient-related fall risk factors in hospitals, thus promoting a fairer comparison of the quality of care provided over time.